Picture Perfect
by lovelovelove22
Summary: Edward and Bella are only together for the sake of their son, but can a family survive through months of seperation?
1. Chapter 1

**This has been in my head for a while now…I hope you enjoy. Review, please! **

…

I quietly closed my car door behind me, surveying the dark street. It looked the same as always- quiet and peaceful. The streetlamps were on, and dark shadows fell everywhere. I turned towards the house, smiling wryly when I saw that the porch light was on, as always. I turned around and went to the trunk of my car, getting my tattered suitcase out and then shutting the trunk as well, trying to keep as quiet as possible. It was past midnight, so I knew that they were both probably asleep. I should have called ahead to say I'd be here tonight, but I never do and it astounds me that the porch light is always left on, just in case.

It reminds me that no matter our situation, I always have this home and family to come back to.

My feet crunch over dry leaves on the path up to the house, a reminder that I have yard work to do while I'm home. As I approach the door and reach for the key that is always in the front pocket of my jeans, I'm surprised when the door opens slowly, and she's standing there wearing a short blue nightgown with her brown hair mused and her eyes half closed with sleep.

"I heard the car pull up." Bella muttered sleepily, and a smile appeared on her face as I pulled her into a gentle hug. "Welcome home."

"Sorry I woke you." I said as she moved aside and held the door open wider so that I could come in, dragging my suitcase behind you.

She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "No…it's fine." Bella said with a soft smile. "I like when you come home." She admitted, and I couldn't help but feel guilty. Luckily, she quickly moved on. "How long will you be staying this time?"

"Longer than I usually do." I said, smiling crookedly. "A couple of weeks, probably."

Bella nodded, looking towards the stairs. "He'll be excited." She said, looking down at her hands. "He misses you…and asks about you all the time."

I pursed my lips. "You know I miss him too."

"Yeah, I know." She said, and then sighed. "Come on, let's go to bed." With that, she turned and headed up the stairs, one of her small hands gripping the banister. I followed after her, suitcase in hand. When we reached the top of the stairs, I immediately set my suitcase down and opened the door to my son's room, peeking in.

I hadn't seen Liam for two months, and he had already grown so much. I leaned against the doorframe for a moment, and Bella stood next to me, watching him sleep as well. "He's gotten big." I noted softly, and Bella just nodded in agreement. I moved closer to him and brushed his curly auburn hair off of his forehead, stroking gently as I took in the sight of him. Then I leaned down and kissed his forehead gently, knowing that over the next couple of weeks I would have plenty of time with him.

I looked over my shoulder at my sleeping son as I left the room, Bella following behind me. "He has to leave for school tomorrow at eight." Bella informed me as we walked into our bedroom. Well, it was 'our' bedroom technically, but for roughly ten months of the year, it was just Bella's. "Do you want to take him?" She asked, lifting up the covers of the bed and sliding in.

"Of course I do." I said, pulling my shirt over my head. I tossed it in the hamper next to the bathroom door, and then kicked off my jeans and threw them in there as well. I kept my boxers on as I slid into bed, sighing contently at the chance for a good night's sleep. Bella leaned over and pecked me softly on the lips, her hand on my cheek.

"Goodnight. I'm glad you're home." She murmured.

"Me too." I confessed, and she rolled back over onto her side of the bed and shut off her lamp without another word.

I could tell by her even, steady breaths that Bella fell asleep soon after, but I stayed awake and stared up at the ceiling fan, spinning around and around above us.

Looking at Bella and I, you'd never guess that we were married, and had been for almost six years. We had been high school sweethearts- stupid and reckless and immature and thinking that we were in love. Bella had gotten pregnant when we were both twenty, and got married when Bella was four months pregnant, thanks to pressing from all of our parents to 'do the right thing'. It hadn't taken long for the honeymoon phase to wear off, and by the time Bella gave birth to our son, Liam, the two of us were more friends than husband and wife.

Soon after Liam's birth, I made a tough decision. I took a job as a travelling photographer, going from city to city and state to state and country to country for my work, constantly on the move. I was gone for a month or two at a time, and when I came home it was usually only for a week or two, mostly less than that. I felt guilty, having to stay away from my son simply because I didn't want to be with my wife, but I did everything I could to make it up to him.

I wasn't staying with Bella as an obligation to _her_, hell, Bella could take care of herself just fine and she had told me on several occasions that she didn't need me. I stayed with her because of Liam, and because although I couldn't be around often, I loved him and wanted to provide for him. I made enough money through my job that Bella didn't have to work and still live comfortably. I was proud of that fact, earning enough money for my wife and son to be content. I might not be around much, but I'll always take care of both of them.

…

I woke up the next morning when someone started jumping on the bed, shouting loudly. I groaned and rolled over, pulling my pillow over my head to try and block out some of the excessive noise. But the jumping continued, and I eventually sat up, rubbing my eyes sleepily. "Daddy!" The bouncing ball of energy that was my five year old son leaped into my arms, making me laugh.

"Hey!" I said happily, hugging Liam tightly as he continued to wriggle around in my arms. "How's my guy? Have you been watching over everything for me?"

"Yep!" Liam exclaimed, looking up at me with his big brown eyes. "Where were you this time, and what did you bring me?"

I laughed, playfully pinching his cheek. "Is that all you want from me?" I asked, feigning like I was deeply hurt. Really, I understood that he was just anxious.

Liam shook his head, hugging me again and nuzzling his forehead against my shoulder. "No, daddy. I like when you come home."

"Good." I said. "I like being home with you, too." Liam smiled up at me, and I ruffled his curly hair. "And I was in a country called Liberia, which is in Africa. There are a _lot_ of little kids there, just like you, but some of them don't have parents like you do." I explained. "I missed you a lot." I said, which was true. Seeing all of those poor, malnourished children, most of them orphans, had made me miss my own son like crazy. Even more than I usually did.

"It's okay, daddy. I have mommy, even when you're gone." Liam said sweetly, making my heart pang in my chest. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay away from him much longer, especially since he was growing up so fast and I was missing out on so much in his life. But I couldn't just quit my job, and I had a lot of assignments to finish up before I could even consider stop traveling out of the counter. "So, what did you bring me?" Liam asked me again, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Come on." I said, rolling out of bed and scooping him into my arms. I sat down on the floor and he settled in my lap, leaning back against my chest. I shifted slightly and unzipped one of the many pockets on my suitcase, pulling out the soccer jersey I had bought for him. "I know you like soccer." I said, suddenly feeling a little awkward as I handed it to Liam. "And…I saw this."

Liam didn't pick up on my awkwardness; he just grinned and hugged it to his chest. "Thanks." He said softly, tilting his head and looking up at me. "I like it."

"Good." I said softly, my voice almost cracking as I looked at him. Turning my head so he wouldn't see the tears in my eyes, I glanced over at the clock on my nightstand. "You should go get ready for school. I'm going to drop you off this morning and pick you up this afternoon."

He leaped up off my lap, still grinning. "Okay! I'll wear this." Liam said, waving around the jersey as he ran out of the room.

I sat on the floor for a moment, lost in thought, before I finally came to my senses and stood up to get ready. By the time I was ready to go, Liam was waiting at the front door, his backpack and paper bag lunch in his hands. Bella kissed both of us on the foreheads, ushering us out the door five minutes behind schedule.

The car ride was mostly silent on my part, because Liam chattered on and on about kindergarten and his friends and every other detail of his life. I listened closely, wishing I hadn't missed out on all of those things. I dropped him off in front of the school, watching as he ran up to some of his friends and headed inside the building. He turned around to wave to me, and I waved back, my heart thudding in my chest.

I got back to the house and Bella was sitting on the porch swing out front. I slowly walked up to Bella, and she glanced up at me as I approached.

"We need to talk about some things."

…

**I hope you liked it! Please review and I'll continue soon.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks a lot for the feedback on this, I'm glad you like it. And I'm promising an HEA, but I'm not sure how long it will take at this point. We'll have build-up to the HEA, and then after that we might just have a few chapters of happy fluff.**

**As always, please review!**

…

I nodded, sitting down next to Bella on the porch swing. "Yeah, I guess we do." I agreed, kicking my feet back and forth against the floor to move the swing back and forth. "I don't want to be gone so much." I stated, taking the initiative and speaking up first. "But…I don't know how this is all going to work. First of all, it's going to be a few weeks at the least until I can get things wrapped up…and then there's the problem between us." I said, trailing off slightly.

Bella stared down at her feet, nodding stiffly. "How did you manage to come home for so long?" She asked, and I was surprised that she didn't continue the conversation I had started, but had changed the subject.

"I talked to Alec, and told him that after everything I saw…I really needed to be home with Liam for longer than usual." I said, not mentioning the fact that I had also wanted to try and figure out what was wrong with us. Alec was my boss- he gave out my assignments and oversaw my schedule. Luckily, after seeing some of the pictures I had taken and the things that I had seen, he agreed to let me come back to Forks for an extended vacation.

"What exactly was so horrifying about what you saw?" Bella questioned, glancing over at me with her eyebrows raised. "If you don't mind me asking, that is." She added hastily.

I shook my head, sighing to myself. This was so wrong…Bella was my wife. She shouldn't have to ask permission for things like this, she shouldn't even feel like she has to. "It was in Liberia." I began. "It's a country on the Western side of Africa, on the coast. The average age is eighteen, so there are children _everywhere_. And most of them don't have families or even a parent. The whole time I was there, all I could think of was how often I was gone, and how Liam must sometimes feel like _he_ only has one parent."

"He doesn't-" Bella started to interrupt me, but I continued.

"I don't care." I said sharply. "I wanted to be home with him before I have to go back. And I meant what I said about wanting to be home more…I'm going to talk to Alec about staying in the country for work. And even if that all works out, it'll be a few months until I can finish things up and be home more."

Bella nodded, chewing lightly on her bottom lip. "He knows that you don't want to be away from him. We've talked about it."

I ran one of my hands through my hair, looking intently at Bella. Something caught my eye, and I stiffened immediately. "Bella, why the hell aren't you wearing your wedding ring?" I asked harshly. Her left ring finger was painfully bare, not showing any signs that a ring was supposed to be there. No tan lines, no little indentations, nothing. Despite my feelings towards Bella, I wore my own wedding ring. Always, no matter what.

"It doesn't fit." Bella said shortly, ignoring my anger. "It hasn't for a while now." I stared at her, silently demanding an explanation. "When you put that ring on my finger, Edward, I was pregnant. I've lost a lot of weight since then, okay?"

"Why are you losing so much weight?" I snapped. I looked down at her, taking in the form of her body, and I noticed that she really was skinner than I had ever seen her. Bella's collarbones stuck up, stretching against her soft, pale skin, and her waistline was small.

Bella picked up on my tone and huffed angry, crossing her arms over herself. "I chase after a five year old all day, and I'm a vegetarian now." She said defensively, and that only made me more upset. I didn't even know that my own wife was a vegetarian. I relaxed slightly, looking away from Bella, and she spoke again. "I eat fine. It's not like I go hungry." She added softly, and I just nodded my head, staying silent. Bella sat still for a moment, and I could feel her eyes on me. "Can we change the subject?" She asked in a soft voice, and I just nodded once more. "You were saying something about the problems between us." Bella prompted, and I glanced up at her.

"I'll be home, and I want to try and work through at least some of our problems. It doesn't mean I want to renew our wedding vows or anything like that…I just want to try and understand you better. We've been together for something around ten years…and just when we knew each other, everything changed."

She was quiet, but when I looked at her again I saw tears in her dark brown eyes. "I know." Bella whispered, her voice rough with unshed tears. "Believe me, I know."

…

I sat restlessly in my car, drumming my fingers absentmindedly on the steering wheel as I waited for three o'clock to roll around. I had never gotten to pick Liam up from school before, and for some reason I was anxious. Since the school Liam went to was an expensive private school that both my mother and Bella's mother had insisted on, there was no bus system. And since Liam was in kindergarten, he wasn't allowed to walk home and I had to sign him out before I could take him.

The precautions seemed to be a little much, but then again I was glad that my son's safety was under consideration.

When it was two- fifty five, I got out of the car and walked into the building, checking in at the main office and asking for directions to Liam's classroom. I got to the door just as the bell rang, and a perky brunette who I assumed was the teacher was standing there, holding a clipboard. "Who are you picking up?" She asked politely, holding up her list of names.

"Um, Liam. Cullen." I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. She nodded, looking down at her list. The smile on her lips faded, and she looked back up at me apologetically.

"I'm sorry, his mother hasn't cleared anyone else to pick him up."

I gritted my teeth angrily. I couldn't even pick my damn son up from school? "He's my son." I said sharply.

"Well, you've never picked him up before, and you weren't at orientation with Bella…"

"We're his parents." I said roughly. "Edward and Isabella Cullen. Here's my driver's license." I thrust it towards her, pointing to where my name was. She stared at me for a second, and then slipped back inside the room. At this point there was a line of parents behind me, but I honestly didn't care."

A few minutes past, and then Liam came flying out of the room and hugged my legs tightly. "Daddy!"

I looked up at the teacher smugly, patting Liam's head. "Come on, let's go home." I said, reaching for his small hand. Liam took my hand, smiling up at me.

"Today,…"

I smiled and let him chatter, glad that I could at least share this experience with him.

…

**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the little delay! This story shouldn't be too long…maybe around twenty chapters of this length? Idk, we'll figure it out eventually as the story goes along. Don't worry, it'll be a HEA as always.**

**There will be some flashbacks later on to detail what made Edward and Bella fall apart. And before anyone asks, there was no cheating from either party!**

**I have a blog now…it's got teasers and whatnot, and it'll probably be updated every day. It can be found at: **

**www (dot) 22lovelovelove22 (dot) blogspot (dot) com. **

**(Remove the spaces and replace the (dot)'s with actual ones!)**

…

"Your mom called this afternoon." Bella said, and I looked up at her as I cut Liam's chicken for him.

"Oh, yeah? What'd she have to say?" I asked, finishing cutting and picking up my own fork.

Bella took a small sip of her tea, not looking at me as she started to speak. "She wants us to all come over for dinner tomorrow." She said, taking a bite of her chicken-less chicken (Don't even ask). "I told her that would work. Rosalie and Jasper and my parents will be there too." She added, finally looking up at me. I knew the look on her face- she was telling me that we both needed to be on our best behavior.

Our families knew that we had gotten married because of Liam, but they had no idea how unconventional our marriage was. In their eyes, we were still the love-struck couple we had been in high school, and that was fine. They didn't need to know all the complexities of our marriage, especially my mother. It would probably break her heart if she found out her only son wasn't married for all the right reasons.

"Yeah, okay." I said, glancing over at Liam. "Do you want to go see Nana and Papa?"

Bella laughed. "And Grandma Renée and Grandpa Charlie and Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Jasper…" She said, and Liam giggled as well. While I was an only child with no aunts, uncles, cousins, or living grandparents, Bella had a whole slew of family members. She had a brother and a sister, as well as tons of aunts and uncles and cousins.

"Will Uncle Emmet be there?" Liam piped up curiously, and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Who's Emmet?" I asked, and Bella pursed her lips.

"He's friends with mommy, he comes over to visit us and helps us fix things." Liam explained, shoving a piece of chicken into his mouth as he spoke.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth." Bella scolded him, and then looked over at me with a fierce look in her eye. "If you were around at all, you'd know that Emmet is my brother in law. Do you remember when Rosalie got married, and you couldn't come because you had some job assignment?"

I shrugged, because I honestly didn't remember. Over time, job assignments and broken commitments all blended together and were forgotten. "Sure."

Bella rolled her eyes, taking another drink of her tea. "You're unbelievable." She muttered under her breath. I didn't reply, but took a bite of my food instead.

Liam didn't pick up on the tenseness of the situation, so he spoke up again. "I love Uncle Emmet." He said happily. "He taught me how to ride my big boy bike." He said proudly, and I felt a surge of jealously go through me I clenched my teeth at the thought of someone I didn't even know teaching my son how to ride a bike. But it was my own fault yet again.

I was never home, so what was Liam supposed to do? Wait for me to get my head out of my ass and come home for good so I could teach him how to ride his fucking bike?

Bella, of course, immediately picked up on my jealously and narrowed her eyes at me. "It's your own fault." She muttered, keeping quiet so that Liam wouldn't hear her. "And you owe Emmet a lot. He's been a good influence for _your _son while you've been out and about around the world." She said snidely, and that was it.

"Liam, why don't you go watch television?" I said sharply, and Liam looked up in surprise.

"I don't have to finish my veggie-tables?" He asked incredulously.

"Just this once." I said before Bella could step in.

Liam pushed his chair back and darted out of the room, his socks making his feet slide across the smooth hardwood floor.

Bella and I stared at each other from our opposite sides of the table- everything was silent except for the sounds of Spongebob in the living room. "You're being ridiculous." Bella finally said in a hollow voice, poking her fork at the remaining food on her plate.

"No, I'm not being ridiculous." I snapped. "I know I'm not around enough, and I believe me, I hate that too. But you act like I'm sleeping around and partying when I'm really doing my motherfucking _job_, paying the bills so that you can stay home and not have to work. I'm trying to take care of you and Liam- I don't need you shoving things in my face." I snapped.

"Have you slept with anyone else?" Bella asked bluntly, and I recoiled slightly.

It was horrifying that my wife even had to ask that question, and even more so that Bella seemed so outwardly calm about it. "No." I said, telling the truth. "I'm married to _you_, Bella. Even though you and I…don't, uh, have that kind of relationship doesn't mean I'm getting it somewhere else."

"It's been three years, almost four, since we've had sex." Bella said, narrowing her eyes. "Are you seriously telling me you've been totally celibate since then?"

"Yeah, I am. Why, haven't you been?" Her accusation made me angry, and I started raising my voice. "Believe or not, I can go without sex."

"No, I haven't been with anyone else. But if I remember correctly, you were always the one to initiate sex, so since we weren't having sex, I always assumed you would find it elsewhere." Bella said calmly, and my jaw would have hit the ground it weren't attached.

"You…holy fuck…you thought I was going to cheat on you?" I asked angrily, slamming my hand down on the table. "You _assumed_ I would sleep with someone else? I can't believe you. When have I given you a reason to distrust me like this? I always come home to you, I always try and do what I can to take care of you! God fucking dammit, Bella, I can't believe this…" I trailed off, putting my face in my hands.

I had done this. Somehow, I had managed to ruin any shred of trust Bella had in me by not being home, and as a result I've lost out on important moments with my son- moments that I'll never get back.

…

**I know…sad. Conflicted. Screwed up. Give it time, things will start to get better.**

**Any questions? Just ask!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Fast update! This story line is kind of on a roll I guess…maybe if this continues, this story will get moving a little faster. And that's going to be easier to do, considering that one of my stories is going on hiatus. Yep, my story 'No Regrets' is on a little break right now. It'll be back, but I'm not sure when. **

**Updating is going to get harder from now on, because my daughter is sick. She's had an ear infection for almost three weeks now, and it's definitely not getting any better. We've taken her to specialists in both Chicago and St. Louis these past few days, and are waiting to see what the results have got to say.**

**I have a blog now…it's got teasers and whatnot, and it'll probably be updated every day. It can be found at: **

**www (dot) 22lovelovelove22 (dot) blogspot (dot) com. **

**(Remove the spaces and replace the (dot)'s with actual ones!)**

…

When I got home the next morning after dropping Liam off at school, Bella was curled up on the couch, having fallen asleep while watching the morning news. I stood in the in the doorway of the living for a long moment, looking at my estranged wife. I had to admit that she looked beautiful. Her eyes were peacefully closed, with her long black eyelashes skimming across the apple of her cheek. Her plump red lips were parted slightly, and her chest moved up and down slightly with every breath she took.

Unable to stop myself, I reached for my camera, which was sitting on the end table by the door, and lifted it up. Without hesitation, I snapped a few pictures at different angles, and then set my camera back down. I walked over to the couch, kissed Bella on the forehead, and then left the room.

I immersed myself in yard work for the rest of the morning, and when I went back inside around eleven to grab something for lunch, Bella was in the kitchen, standing at the stove and cooking. She turned her head when I walked in through the back door, and I immediately saw the apologetic look on her face.

"Hey." She said, looking down at the stove. "I…I made you lunch."

"Thanks." I muttered, going to the fridge and pouring myself a glass of ice water.

Bella _hmmed_ under her breath, and then turned off the stove. She grabbed two plates from the cabinet and put a grilled cheese sandwich on both, handing one of them to me. We both sat down at the table, and Bella kept looking up at me through her long eyelashes. "I'm sorry for what I said last night." She finally blurted out. "I know you wouldn't cheat on me, even under our circumstances. I'm just…having a hard time with this. Liam asks about you _all the time_. And most of the time, I just think it's easier to pretend that you just have a separate life."

"I get it. Kind of." I said, taking a bite of my lunch. "You have to trust me, Bella. You used to trust me."

She pursed her lips, which I had noticed she was doing a lot these past few days, and shook her head. "Yeah, I _used _to trust you, Edward. But then our relationship totally fell apart because you and I weren't working out. If this relationship between you and I is ever going to get any better, we've got to start again at the beginning." She paused again, and I saw that her eyes were red and glassy. "If I hadn't gotten pregnant, we would have had more time to know if we actually wanted to be together." Bella whispered. "And maybe we wouldn't be in this painful mess."

"If you hadn't gotten pregnant," I began, wishing I could just reach across the table and grab her hand "we wouldn't have the _best _thing in our lives. Liam being born was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me, Bella. Your pregnancy and our rushed marriage definitely have made things harder, but I'll never regret having him and at least trying to be together for him."

Bella wiped at her eyes, nodding her head. "I don't regret what we've done for him, not for a second. But I just wish it wasn't so hard."

I thought for a moment, wondering what I could possibly say to that. But I ended up just saying the simple truth.

"So do I."

…

Instead of holding hands, Bella and I walk with Liam in between, each of us holding one of his hands so that he can swing back and forth. He's laughing and Bella and I are trying to smile along with him, but neither of us are really succeeding.

Bella's parents and siblings cars were already parked out in front of my parent's house, so along with having to park down the block, we'll also be the center of attention when we walk in the door. My parents were happy to be under the impression that there was nothing wrong between Bella and I, because they never saw the real us. Instead, they saw the cheerful Edward and Bella that played with their son and talked with their family members, all while staying close together. They saw us as the two who held onto each other until the very last second, even though that was entirely untrue.

Both of us had let go too soon.

The front door swung open before we could even knock, and I could feel the familiar comfort of my mother's arms around me as she pulled me into her arms. She had to stand on her tip toes to kiss me on the cheek, but she laughed as she did so.

"Edward, we've missed you." She said simply, before patting me on the shoulder and turning her attention to Liam and Bella to say hello. Esme finally let us in through the doorway, and as we began shedding our light coats, she poked her head into the other room and called out, "Guess who's here!"

I clutched Liam's hand tighter in mine and cast a glance over at Bella, wondering how she was handling all of this after our confusing talk this afternoon. She was smiling slightly and still holding Liam's other hand, but it was obvious that she was just a little detached.

"Come on, join the rest of us." Esme said suddenly, shooing us towards the living room. "But let me hold my grandson." She added quickly, scooping Liam up into her arms and simultaneously taking away the barrier between Bella and I. We looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, before Esme nudged both of us, walking past us into the living room with Liam snug in her loving arms. "Come on!" She repeated, smiling widely like she had no care in the world.

I comprised by placing my hand on the small of Bella's back, like I was guiding her into the room or something. As we walked through the doorway I was greeted by the familiar faces of my wife's family.

Really, this whole orchestration was more for them than it was for Liam, but I was totally unsure of how it had gotten to be this way.

_Five Years Ago:_

"_I don't understand how this happened." Esme said fretfully, looking from Bella to me and then back again. "Weren't you…being safe?"_

_I felt Bella cringe slightly next to me, so I squeezed her hand. "Yeah, mom, we were. But just because we were being safe doesn't mean it was totally effective. Condoms break, and the pill-"_

"_Okay." Renée interrupted me, holding her hand up. "We know what the two of you do, and that's fine. You're adults. But from now on, it's going to be just about the two of you. You're bringing another person into this world, and he or she is going to be everything to you. So what are you going to do to ensure that your children grows up in the happy home it deserves?"_

_Bella and I were both quiet, knowing that we were probably not ready to get married. Even though we had been dating for over two years now, there was still time for us to mature and grow up and possibly even grow apart. _

_Charlie wouldn't stand for our hesitation, and spoke his piece. "Edward, that's __**my **__baby that you're going to have a baby with. And if you're smart, you'll do right by her." _

_I swallowed loudly and looked down at Bella, frowning. She looked back up at me, her eyes wide and glassy with unshed tears. I continued to look at her silently, and then realized that she was absentmindedly running her fingers across her belly, covered by her blue sweater. It was then that I knew it was up to me to try and make the right decision. _

"_Yeah, I know. I will." I managed, and both of my parents, and Bella's, nodded. _

_Esme stood up and Carlisle stood up with her, and I watched as they grasped at each other's hand like they couldn't stand to be disconnected for a moment longer. "We'll start putting something together." Esme said, and then Renée and Charlie stood up as well, leaving the room to have a private word with my parents._

_Bella and I remained sitting on the couch, motionless until Bella turned her head to look at me. "Thanks."_

**...**

**There was a little flashback for you…to understand things a little better.**

**I want to update again tomorrow. Not sure if that will happen.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	5. Chapter 5

**Whew, another update! After this, I don't think this story will be updated until this weekend of maybe early next week…it's hard to say. There will be no updates tomorrow- my husband and I are taking our daughter to the doctor yet again. We'll see how that goes…fingers crossed.**

**This chapter is short, I'm warning you ahead of time. **

**On the plus side, I have somehow miraculously gotten back to my pre-baby weight. I didn't think there was anything wrong with gaining weight after having a baby (Because, um, you kind of have to…) But I'll be the first to admit it feels awesome to be rocking my itsy-bitsy bikini and skinny jeans again. Of course there was a sacrifice- an extremely healthy diet and a **_**lot **_**of exercising. But I've reached my goal, so that's it. Now my main focus is just keeping my body healthy and keeping myself happy!**

**I have a blog now…it's got teasers and whatnot, and it'll probably be updated every day. It can be found at: **

**www (dot) 22lovelovelove22 (dot) blogspot (dot) com. **

**(Remove the spaces and replace the (dot)'s with actual ones!)**

…

Liam was immediately passed around by his grandparents and aunt and uncles- kissed and hugged and doted upon. They teasingly pinched his cheeks and smothered him with love, making me smile.

Sometimes, it was worth it. To see how happy Liam was with his family made me realize how important his family was to him. These were the people that had been there for him when I hadn't, the people who had made it to every birthday and holiday and even his pre-school graduation when I had been out of the country.

Rosalie and Jasper, Bella's older siblings, were the first to greet us. They stood up and offered hugs and commented on our appearances and made other pleasantries.

I knew Jasper was being genuine, but I saw right through Rosalie. She is the only person who knows how things really are between Bella and I. We haven't confirmed this to her, of course, but Bella and I both know she's managed to pick up on what is really going on.

They sat back down as Bella's parents and my parents came up to give us more hugs, and then I noticed the tall, muscular guy sitting next to Rosalie on the couch, with his arm draped around my sister in laws shoulders. He must be Emmet, her husband. I'm not going to lie when I say I don't even remember hearing that Rosalie had gotten married. Obviously, I hadn't been able to make it to the wedding.

Rosalie and I usually just managed to stay clear of each other to make things simple. Emmet and Bella hugged, and then Bella turned to me. "Um, Emmet, this is my husband. Edward." She said, and I saw the way her cheeks turned red when she said _husband_. I didn't like it, but that was that.

"Hey." Emmet said simply, shaking my hand and offering me a smile. I returned the greeting before my mom announced that it was time for dinner.

"Uncle Emmet!" Liam called, wriggling out of Bella's mothers arms and running over to his uncle. "Will you sit next to me at dinner?" He pleaded, pulling on Emmet's hand. I wanted to object, to tell Liam to sit by Bella and I, but knew that I shouldn't. I hadn't earned back that right yet- I had to keep reminding myself that Emmet had been there for Liam when I hadn't.

"Yeah, of course." Emmet said easily, reaching down and ruffling Liam's hair before taking Liam's tiny hand in his. I watched as they walked into the dining room together, biting my lip. Bella walked up behind me and paused, looking up and making direct eye contact with me.

Her gaze wasn't unkind, but it was unforgiving. "It's his choice, Edward. He knows Emmet isn't going to leave."

Bella's words stung, but I knew that they were painfully true. Liam deserved better than what I had given him. He deserved a father better than the one I had been. I loved him and provided for him, but that was not enough. To truly be his father, I needed to be there will him more often and earn back the trust a father should have with his son.

…**..**

Dinner was the same as usual. Our parents asked endless slews of questions, wanting to know about our jobs and houses and friends. And then, of course, came the talk about children.

"So, Bella, Edward, are you planning on having any more children?" Renée asked out of the blue, and I nearly choked on the piece of pasta in my mouth. Bella, however, just blushed and looked down at her plate. "Oh, come on. You know how much I love spoiling Liam…why don't you give us another grandchild to spoil?"

My parents nodded in agreement, and Bella and I exchanged worried glances. "Not right now." Bella finally said, focusing on the food on her plate in front of her. She concentrated on picking out all the little pieces of meat in her pasta, because my mother had forgotten she was a vegetarian now. "Things are busy for Edward." She added, glancing up at me with a malicious look in her eyes. "I've already had to practically raise Liam on my own, I don't think I can do that again."

I didn't respond to her hurtful words, and neither did anyone else. Instead, Emmet spoke up. "Well, Renée, you'll be able to count on grandchildren from us sometime soon." He said, a toothy grin on his face as he looked at his wife.

And just like that, the conversation finally shifted away from us and I was left to think about what Bella had said, and how true it really was.

…

**I'm sooo sorry for the short chapter…but I'm not exactly sure when the next one will be and I just wanted to get one out before the weekend. **

**But please review, let me know your thoughts. And just to tell you, I'm Team Edward on this story. Bella makes me mad sometimes. Oh, and by the way, I'm not sure about if there will be BPOV right now. I don't have any planned for upcoming chapters, but I'm definitely not going to rule out the possibility just yet!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	6. Chapter 6

**If you liked 'Master of the Universe' by Snowqueens Icedragon, the sequel has been posted on 50shades(dot)com. It already has two chapters up, so enjoy.**

**Since last chapter was short, I made an effort to make this one at least a little bit longer. And there are some heart-wrenching moments…beware. **

**And ugh, I still don't have any idea how long the story will run. Hopefully not too long. Right now, I'm shooting for twenty five chapters or less. But at this point, there's no telling if it will go longer/shorter, so I don't really know. The outline has lots of room to fluctuate either way.**

**I have a blog now…it's got teasers and whatnot, and it'll probably be updated every day. It can be found at: **

**www(dot)22lovelovelove22(dot)blogspot(dot)com. **

…

I absentmindedly watched Bella as she sat in front of the vanity in our room, brushing her hair before bed. "Liam has a soccer game tomorrow after school." Bella said suddenly, meeting my gaze in the reflection of the mirror. "It starts at four o'clock…are you going to come?" 

"Yeah, definitely. I'll be there." I said immediately, running one of my hands through my hair. "So, um…we'll go together, right?"

Bella nodded, and then resumed brushing her hair. I rolled off the bed and headed towards the door, gently squeezing Bella's shoulder as I passed. "Okay. I'm going to go check in on Liam…I'll be coming to bed soon." I said, and she merely nodded again.

I slipped into Liam's room, smiling when I found him curled up on top of his covers, snuggled up to the stuffed tiger I had brought him back from India over a year ago. I walked over to the side of his bed, gently lifting him up and sliding him under the blankets.

"Daddy…" He mumbled, clutching tightly to his stuffed animal. "Daddy, don't leave."

I clenched my eyes shut for a second, willing the pain to go away. "I'm not leaving." I promised.

Liam's eyes fluttered open and he smiled lazily at me, obviously exhausted. "Really?" He asked.

I ran the back of my hand down his soft cheek, sighing softly. "Not for a couple of weeks, I promise." I assured him. "And then I'll be gone for just a little bit, and then I'll be back again as soon as I can, okay?" Liam just nodded, his eyes drooping shut again. "And your mom and I will both be at your soccer game tomorrow." I added, and Liam made a contented noise. "I love you." I whispered, kissing his nose and pushing the hair away from his forehead before kissing him there, too.

"Love you too." He mumbled, and then rolled over under his covers.

I tucked the blankets in around him and then snuck in one more kiss to his cheek before leaving the room, making sure to turn his closet light on as I left.

Bella was already back when I got into our bedroom, sitting up and reading. She had a pair of reading glasses on, and she was biting her lip as her brown eyes ran across the page. I silently walked into the bathroom, brushing my teeth and stripping off my clothes, except for my boxers. Bella didn't look up as I slid under the covers, but my heart leapt when I saw her plump lips curl upwards slightly.

We were both silent for a moment, and then I spoke. "Do you ever wish you could be with someone else?" I finally whispered, peeking over at her. Bella froze for a second, and then shut her book. "I mean…have you ever met someone, while I've been gone, and just wondered…what would happen, or _could _happen, if you and I hadn't gotten married?"

"You shouldn't be asking me this." Bella replied, her voice tight and her eyes downcast.

"Why not?" I asked, dreading the question to both of my questions.

"Because I don't want to hurt you." Bella replied in a quiet voice.

I didn't respond for a moment, and when I did my voice was rough. "After all of this, I thought you wouldn't be afraid of hurting me. We've both done things…"

"You're my husband, Edward." Bella interrupted me, our eyes meeting. "I'm not going to lie and say I haven't found other people physically attractive, because I have, and I know you have too, but this is my life. I married you."

"When you married me, you loved me." I reminded her.

Bella gave me a tight smile, although the look in her eyes was anything but happy. "When I married you, you loved me, too." She responded. And then her fake smile faded altogether. "You and I…we had high school love. I'm not saying high school sweethearts can't have a happily ever after, because I'm sure some people can, but that wasn't us. Too soon after we got married, we both started growing up. We started to want different things."

"Maybe, if we hadn't gotten married but still stayed together, things would be different." I wondered aloud, and Bella reached over and gently touched my arm.

"Maybe. But maybe not. We'll never know." She said gently. "I'm sorry for the resentment I have against you, Edward. I am sorry, but I don't think that feeling is going to just go away. I don't blame you for getting the kind of job you did, because I remember how hard it was for us to even be in the same house as each other…you know, when we were at our worst."

_Four Years Ago:_

_Bella didn't say anything. She just looked at me, holding the baby, and didn't speak. "You're late." She finally said, but her voice was hollow and heavy sounding. _

"_I know." I replied, dropping my camera bag on the coffee table. "Sorry, my photography class just ran late." I said, giving my lame explanation. "So, uh, what did you do today?" I asked, walking over and kissing her chastely on the cheek. _

_She started to turn her head away slightly, but I was already moving away from her and retreating to the couch. "Nothing." Bella said shortly, leaning back in her chair and brushing her fingers over Liam's cheek. "I went to the store. I had lunch. I stayed with Liam." She said quietly. I nodded, playing with my wedding ring absentmindedly. "I'm going out to dinner with Rose in an hour." Bella suddenly said, glancing up at me with her lips pursed. "So you'll have to stay home with Liam." Bella unceremoniously stood and handed Liam over to me. "I need to go get ready. I'll be home late."_

_I was about to object, but Bella turned on of her heel and hurried out of the room. She had stayed home with Liam almost every single day since he had been born, she deserved to get out of the house every once and a while. Plus, I wouldn't mind her being out of the house for a few hours. We've been walking on eggshells around each other for months. We're married, but we showed each other more affection back when we were a brand new couple in high school. _

_Neither of us really wanted to admit it, but we were truly stuck with each other. Being in love as a teenager is different than being married. I know a part of me was always going to love Bella. She had been so much to me, and we had a child together. But it was painfully apparent that things were different, and we would probably never be able to get back what we had._

…

Bella brushed past me in the kitchen, hurriedly putting together a snack for the team as I filled up the cooler with ice. Liam sat anxiously at the island in the kitchen, resting his chin on the cold granite countertop.

"You gonna score a goal today, Liam?" Bella called, glancing over her shoulder as she assembled the fresh baked cookies she had made.

"Yep!" Liam perked up immediately, his little chest puffing out with pride. "I did last time. Daddy, you'll get it see it this time." He added, smiling at me. I smiled back, and Bella nudged me away from the cooler to start loading little bottles of Gatorade into it.

"Yeah, I will." I said, laughing.

Liam nodded in satisfaction, and then Bella flipped the lid to the cooler shut. "Okay, let's get going. We're late enough as it is…Emmet is going to have my head." She mumbled, glancing at the clock on the microwave. I started to pick up the cooler, but paused slightly at the mention of Emmet's name.

"Emmet?" I question, and Liam nodded enthusiastically.

"Uncle Emmet is one of our coaches." He explained seriously. "When I started soccer, the coach wanted you to coach. But mommy said that you couldn't, 'cause you're gone so much, so Uncle Emmet did it instead." He explained nonchalantly, and then tugged on the leg of Bella's shorts. "Mommy, can I have a cookie now?" He asked expectantly.

Bella gently nudged his hand away, picking up the container of cookies. "No, you have to wait." She admonished, and then glanced up at me. "Emmet has really helped us out." Bella said quietly. "It's not a big deal, Edward." Then she cleared her throat, and ruffled Liam's curly hair. "Do you have all your stuff together?" She questioned.

Liam nodded, giving Bella a big thumbs up. "I put it all in daddy's car."

"Alright, great." Bella said. "Now let's hustle, or Uncle Emmet will really go crazy."

…**..**

**There's going to be more jealously in the next chapter, just to let you know. For the record, Emmet isn't a threat to Edward because of Bella, but because of Liam. Just throwing that out there!**

**If you've got questions/thoughts/concerns, don't hesitate to let me know. Unless you're going to be a huge giant jerk for no reason. If that is the case, please keep it to yourself or be a little more polite.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	7. Chapter 7

**I made chocolate fudge cupcakes with chocolate icing (both from scratch…go me!) after dinner…they were delicious and now I'm all pumped up to get this chapter out tonight. Hopefully, it'll get done. **

**Um…let's see…I haven't got much to say about this one. I've got more good news/bad news though. The good news is that the doctor seems to have finally found a medicine that soothes Blakely ear infections, at least for now. So she's slowly but surely getting some relief. The bad news is that I've started working full time again. Updates are all just up in the air at this point. I don't want to have big gaps between chapters, and I will do my best to prevent that. There's a pretty big possibility that this chapter will be a short one. However, my plan is to update ASAP tomorrow.**

**And for the millionth time- I have a blog now…it's got teasers and whatnot, and it'll probably be updated every day. It can be found at: **

**www(dot)22lovelovelove22(dot)blogspot(dot)com. **

…

Bella and I walked next to each other, but as always there was a distance between us. Liam had already trotted off to where the rest of his teammates were standing, so now Bella and I were on our own. I remained silent as we walked past the parents and family members already seated in folding chairs on the sidelines, but Bella waved and smiled and stopped to talk to people while I lingered behind her, focusing on the cooler I was still carrying.

I knew that the some of the people that Bella knew were probably wondering who the hell I was, but it wasn't until we sat down in our own folding chairs did someone ask the question outright.

"Hey, Bella. And who is this?" A skinny brunette woman sitting next to her leaned over Bella to shake my hand, flashing a blindingly white smile.

"Hi, I'm Jessica Stanley." She said, batting her eyelashes and smiling flirtatiously.

Bella smiled tightly and Jessica finally let go of my hand. "This is my husband." Bella explained, reaching over and squeezing my hand once before pulling away again. "Edward Cullen." Jessica's mega-watt smile faded slightly then, and her cheeks flushed light pink.

"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you." She said weakly. I nodded back, and Bella suddenly gasped and gripped my arm.

"Did you bring your camera?" Bella asked anxiously.

I groaned, knowing that I was going to be sent back to the car. "Yeah, it's in the car." I said grudgingly.

"Please go get it…it's the first of Liam's games that you'll get to see…and you're Mr. Photographer, so your pictures are a million times better than mine." Bella said, and I nodded again. "Thank you."

"Do you like taking pictures?" Jessica asked, and before I could reply Bella cut in, widening her brown eyes and gesturing with her hand for me to please go and get the camera.

I could hear her response as I slowly walked off. "Yeah, he's a photographer. He travels around the world all the time…that's why he hasn't been able to make it to any of the other games." I was already too far away at that point to hear Jessica's response, but I really didn't care.

Time and time again, Bella proved that she could handle most things on her own.

By the time I made it back from the car to our seats the game was getting ready to begin. I spotted Liam standing by Emmet on the other side of the field, and when he saw me he started waving and jumping up and down. Bella and I both laughed and waved back- a moment of peace that Bella and I could share through our love for our son.

The game started soon afterwards and I quickly realized how slow going the game soccer of soccer could be, especially when it was a simple game between a bunch of five and six year olds on a makeshift field. But Bella and I both watched and cheered nonetheless, proud of our son and proud of his tireless determination to get the ball. It was obvious that Liam loved playing soccer, and that made me happy, knowing that he had something to do that he enjoyed so much. I took random pictures as the game went on, and I noticed that Bella and I were both starting to loosen up slightly with each other.

At one point I looked over at Bella, and it was one of those moments when I could remember why I had fallen for her in the first place, way back once upon a time in high school. She had her knees pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around her shins. Bella was absentminded gnawing on her already stubby thumb nail, and the strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail were whipping across her face despite the black baseball cap that she wore.

It was simple and innocent and sweet- everything that made Bella the very beautiful woman that she was.

Before she moved, I quickly picked up my camera and snapped a picture, and then hurriedly pointed the camera back towards Liam before she noticed anything. However, Bella heard the quiet shutter of the camera go off and turned to face me, a confused look on her face.

"Edward…what did you just take a picture of?" She asked questioningly, leaning over to glimpse at the display screen of my camera.

"It was just a good one of Liam." I said indifferently, angling my camera away from her slightly so that she couldn't see. "And he has the ball again." I added, and Bella quickly refocused her attention on the game.

We hardly spoke for the rest of the game, but I was okay with that. For some reason, the silence that had used to be awkward between us was actually becoming a little comfortable. I wasn't sure that was a good thing- it probably wasn't- but it was better than nothing.

…

**Yikes, that was a short one…I apologize. The next chapter will be out tomorrow, though. This chapter was mostly a filler. The next chapter will skip through some time, and then pick up again with a little more drama in store for Edward and Bella. Despite the problems (I know, even more problems…) that the two of them are going to come across…they will still be happy and in love and get that wonderful HEA that they deserve in the end. **

**You can count on that, I pinky promise and cross my heart and hope to die, there will be a for sure HEA in the end of this store. In fact, there will be a HEA in the end of the majority of every single one of my stories, so...yeah. They'll get there eventually.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	8. Chapter 8

**NO! I promised an update **_**yesterday **_**and I forgot all about it. Well, I do have an itsy bitsy excuse…the gallery that I work at was having a show. I was schmoozing and refilling drinks and flitting around well into the wee hours of the morning. But I got off early today and then I was perusing around and then I remembered I was supposed to update. And then I believe my exact words were "crack shit!" and then I got onto Microsoft word and here I am typing up this lovely chapter.**

**Okay, that's all. Go back to reading and whatnot, and please do not forget to leave me a reviewing telling me…you know, what's on your mind, what you think, etc. It is much appreciated. **

…

After being gone for so long so often, being home always took some getting used to. When I woke up in the morning I was always initially startled to find myself in our cozy, messy bedroom instead of in a strange hotel or one of the many other odd places I have had to sleep over the years. But it's Saturday morning and I'm in our bed, mine and Bella's, and I'm thinking about how things could have been so much different.

They could have been, but I still have no idea how.

Bella was still fast asleep next to me. I could hear her steady breathing, and I could see the slight rise and fall of her chest. Her almost too skinny frame was practically drowning in one of my old tee shirts, and her face looks more peaceful then I've seen it in a long time. I remember there was once a time when everything was relaxed and easy and peaceful between us. Now, the only true peace we can find is in our sleep.

Giving up on falling back to sleep and truly sleeping in, I get out bed and practically stumble downstairs, my body and eyes both protesting.

When I get down to the living room, Liam is already there, curled up on the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons. And the cartoons kids watch these days aren't even the good ones. Stuff like Rugrats and Tom and Jerry has been taken over with shit like Spongebob and Dora the Explorer. But I guess a couple hours of dumbass cartoons every Saturday morning won't rot his brain, so he can watch what he wants.

"Hey, Liam." I sit down next to him on the couch, and he immediately crawls into my lap.

"Hi, daddy." He murmurs, and I kiss the top of his head while he continues to focus on the television. I give up trying to follow whatever jacked up storyline is going on, and eventually I drift back to sleep on the couch with Liam still in my arms.

…

"Shh, your dad is asleep."

"Mom, but I really want to go play outside!"

"Good lord, Liam, please just settle down a little bit! The weather is bad and your dad is still sleeping."

They're both being quite but it doesn't matter- I'm awake. I open my eyes hesitantly and rub them, yawning loudly.

Bella and Liam both look over from the chair in the corner, Liam smiling and Bella looking tired and exasperated. "Daddy! Let's go outside!" Liam bolts off of Bella's lap and is by my side in an instant, pulling my arm and smiling sweetly. "We can play with my soccer ball or swing or go up in my tree house or-"

"Hey, I hate to break it to you…" Bella interrupts, pointing out the window. "But it's kind of raining out there, bud." _Raining _is in understatement. It's pouring buckets, and it's a wonder how I managed to sleep through the racket on the rain pounding on the roof.

Liam pouts, and buries his face into my chest. "We'll go outside this afternoon, if the weather gets better." I promise, smoothing down Liam's unruly curly hair with one of my hands. Bella sighs and rolls her eyes at me, getting out of the easy chair and walking towards the kitchen.

I easily scoop up Liam and follow her, ready to get something for breakfast. But Bella is reaching for a plain bagel as I walk in the room, and there's no way in hell I'm having a bagel for breakfast. After weeks of living off of food in Africa that gave me each and every kind of stomach pain imaginable, I was going for broke for a good old fashioned _huge _breakfast.

"Do you want to help me cook breakfast?" I ask Liam, sitting him down on the counter.

He perks up instantly, his ruined plans of going outside long forgotten.

Bella sighs, and I glance over at her with confusion. "What?"

"We've got cereal. And bagels." She points out. "You don't have to make a big breakfast.

I shrug, tweaking Liam's nose. "We want a _man's _breakfast. And I can cook just fine, Bella. It'll be okay."

She snorts, shaking her head as she munches on her bagel and heads out of the kitchen. "Sure it will."

…

Of course, Bella is right. I'm not a completely lousy cook, but details tend to slip my mind and sometimes I just straight out forget stuff. Liam finds it hilarious as I attempt to cook- he's laughing hysterically at my blunders and mistakes and then at one point, Bella is back in the kitchen.

She sees my attempt at cooking at takes pity on me, laughing and setting things straight. Finally, after what seems like hours, breakfast is heaped onto plates on the table. Even though Bella already had a bagel, she gives in and has a plate of eggs and toast, sitting down with us to eat.

This is when I feel like we're really a family, and that makes me a little sad. Why is it so hard for this, our little family dynamic, to feel real, to feel right?

I know the answer but I don't necessarily want to accept it- we're not a real family. Liam is our son and we love him more than anything, but that doesn't make everything happy and normal. We'll always be a family, there is no doubt of that. But there's an extremely small chance that Liam will get to grow up with what Bella and I had as children- parents who loved each other and siblings to play with and all the other little simple things he won't experience because I don't love Bella and she doesn't love me, at least not in the way that we should.

Breakfast is just feeling like a success when everything falls apart. One tiny question ruins the delicate balance.

"Do I get any little brothers or sisters?" Liam's question is innocently simple, but Bella and I both inhale sharply and look at each other with desperate. Neither of us have a real answer to give him.

"What makes you ask that?" I question, avoiding his initial question by asking another one.

Liam shrugs, taking a bite of his bacon. "Uncle Emmet said that if he and Aunt Rose have a baby, it'll almost be like my little brother or sister, but not really. And my friend Gavin has a little sister _and _a little brother. They're twins!" He takes another bite, and then raises his eyebrows. "Well, do I?"

Bella glances at me, the color mostly gone from her face. "Liam, your dad and I haven't really thought about that." She says gently, looking down at her breakfast plate. "It's a big deal, having a new baby in the house. They cry all the time and need attention and you have to change their dirty diapers. And your daddy has to work, so it would be kind of hard to have a new baby in the house."

"Well, daddy's home now. Why don't you have a baby now?" Liam asks, and I nearly spit out the orange juice I had been drinking.

"It doesn't quite work like that." I say quickly, wiping at my mouth with my napkin. "There's more to it."

"Like what?" Liam is curious as always, but instead of being cute it's way too much.

"Like, stuff you don't need to worry about." Bella interjects easily, the color returning to your face. "Eat your breakfast."

…

The day continues on, dreary and rainy and lazy. Liam is bored- he wants to play outside still.

Bella and I are avoiding each other- actually, I'm pretty much the one avoiding her- but she eventually corners me in the kitchen after lunch, while Liam is watching television.

"Do you ever want another baby?" Her question is blunt and straightforward, and I actually have to think about it.

"I love Liam." I finally say, finding it hard to look Bella in the eye. "But I don't think you and I would be able to…get to that place again. Liam wasn't planned, not even close. Too have another baby-"

"We'd have to be having sex." Bella sighs, and she almost sounds _wishful_. She laughs at the expression on my face, smiling. "I know our relationship is completely screwed up but," she takes a step closer to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I'll never forget how it felt…to be with you." Her voice lowers to a whisper, and then I'm remembering too- the soft touches and kisses and release…all a thing of the past.

Bella suddenly takes a step back, her eyes wide. "Shit." She mutters, and then bustles out of the kitchen.

Yeah. Shit. Because now, she's got me back in the past, and that's just going to screw everything up again.

…

**This chapter wasn't as drama filled as I planned, but it does the trick.**

**Please don't forget to review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	9. Chapter 9

**So this chapter is a little tricky. If there is dialogue, it will be scarce. It skims over time, and is not going to be overly descriptive. And that is because…**

**It's our intro to BPOV. That's right, Bella's Point of View is finally making an appearance, and hopefully we'll get some answers. I don't know how often BPOV will come out to play, though. It could very well be just this one time, but it is also extremely possible that she makes more appearances throughout the rest of the story. I guess I'll just play it by ear.**

**And this story has over 200 reviews for just eight chapters. Wow. Thanks so much! Please continue to review…this chapter, I am going to reply to every single one, which I have never done before! It might take me forever to do…but I really want to.**

…

Sometimes, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore.

Life used to seem so easy, but I quickly learned that life is anything but.

On the outside, I have a life that is close to perfect. I have a beautiful home, a healthy and wonderful son, and a husband who is handsome and kind. But if you look closer, towards the inside of my life and past the hard shell that is my near constant exterior, there is more to my life than just that.

My marriage is the one source of imperfection in my life.

I don't begrudge Edward for taking a job that takes him across the country and even the world, because if I were in his shoes, I would have probably done the same thing. Besides, since I've known him, Edward has been a photographer. It's his passion, the one profession that he truly enjoys.

And truthfully, when he first left, I wanted him to be gone. I had been mad and frustrated and trapped, and had wanted space. And space was what I got. There were, of course, many moments that I had missed him. I knew I was never truly alone in raising our son, but there were many times I wish he could have been there too. However, he made a choice, and he too regrets missing those precious moments.

There were also times when I would just miss _him _and _what we had together_, not just missed him because he wasn't there. I missed the way we used to feel about each other, caught up in young and thinking that our relationship, thinking that _we_, would never chance.

But we did. Both of us changed. For our relationship, it was deadly. But for us, the change was necessarily. Because we were growing up, becoming independent, gaining our own ideas and dreams- separate from each other.

There are also often times that I wonder what would have become of Edward and I in the future if I hadn't gotten pregnant with Liam. Would we have still drifted apart?

In my head, I know the answer is 'yes'. There were too many roadblocks between Edward and I, and they were all our own faults. But in my heart, sometimes I just wish the answer would be 'no'. Sometimes, when I'm at lowest point of vulnerability emotionally, I think about what it would be like if Edward and I still loved each other like we once had, all the way back in high school.

_Senior Year:_

"_There are more in here!" Rosalie's voice drifted into the room and I couldn't help but grin. _

_I had the most wonderful boyfriend._

_This morning, I had woken up with a yellow post-it note stuck to my forehead. At first, I had been annoyed, thinking that it was a prank from one of my two siblings. But when I read it, my heart melted. _

_**I have a question to ask you…look for more post-its. –E**_

_I flew out of bed, scrambling to pull on my bathrobe. "Rose!" I called, running over to her side of our bedroom. "Rose, wake up! Do you know what this is about?" I managed to shake her awake, and she stared at me and the post-it note in confusion._

_Finally, I managed to get her out of bed and she started helping me look for more post-it's._

_And that's what we're doing right now- positively scouring the house. There were eight hidden in our bedroom, one of which I found tucked away in my underwear drawer. If it hadn't been Edward, that would have creeped me out. All of them had little notes on them, simple and meaningful things that made me smile. But I hadn't found the most important one, the one with Edward's ominous question on it, yet. _

"_Any good ones?" I asked, fumbling through the kitchen drawers and coming up with three more notes, but none of them were __**the **__note._

"_No. Well, yeah, they're good and cute and stuff, but not the one you're looking for!" Rosalie called back, and I huffed in frustration._

_Ten minutes later, we had ransacked the house, and had come up with almost 100 post-its between us. They were all adorable and sweet and heartwarming, but we had yet to find the important one._

"_Bella, the phone is for you." Rosalie called. "It's Edward!" I scrambled into the kitchen, yanking the phone away from her and bringing it to my ear._

"_I can't find it!" I complained, and Edward chuckled._

"_Well, yeah, I figured…the one you're still looking for is with me." He explained._

_I sighed, disappointed. "Oh…do I have to come get it?"_

_Edward laughed again, and I gnawed on my lower lip. "Yes, you have to come get it. Get it your truck and come get it, right now. And by the way, Rosalie was the one who let me into the house late last night. I'm not a complete creep" He said, and then hung up the phone. I couldn't help but laugh as I hung up the phone as well, grabbing the keys to my truck off the kitchen counter and running for the front door. As I went, I called over my shoulder to Rosalie, not caring that everyone else in the house was probably trying to sleep in._

"_I'm going to see Edward, I'll be back later!"_

_I ran out to my truck and got in, and paused to see that there was another post-it stuck to the face of the steering wheel._

_**I'll be there in a few minutes. Meet me in the tree house. –E**_

_I tossed the post-it to the side, making a mad dash to the tree house in our backyard even though I knew I would be beating Edward there. Sure enough, five minutes passed, and Edward poked his head up into the tree house, grinning at me. He sat down next to me on the floor, and when I leaned in to kiss him on the forehead he pulled back, and smacked me gently on the forehead._

_I narrowed my eyes at him and reached up, grinning when my fingers felt another post-it._

_**Bella, I love you. Will you come to prom with me? –E**_

…

**There you have it…a look into BPOV and a little look into their past together.**

**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	10. Chapter 10

**There is a little more BPOV in the story, at least in this chapter. I don't know if there will be anymore BPOV, but it's here for now. And I've decided that it's a good thing, because we get a little more perspective on the situation between E/B.**

**Thank you sooo much for all the reviews last chapter. I think I replied to all of them, but if I overlooked you, I sincerely apologize! By the way…there are 232 reviews at this point. Ah! That's amazing, thanks!**

…

"You're late." Rosalie admonished me, and I rolled my eyes.

"Rosalie, I have a child. When am I _ever _on time?" I asked, and Rosalie laughed along with me.

"True. Well, I ordered you a coffee." She said, passing the cup over to me.

I drank from it gratefully, smiling at my younger sister. "Thanks, Rose. I've just been…really busy lately. With Edward home, things are just kind of complicated." Rosalie was the only person who knew the truth about Edward and I's marriage, and because of that, she is the only person I can really talk to about it.

"How are things going between you two, Bella?" Rosalie asked, taking a bite of her bagel, which was slathered in cream cheese. "I don't mean to pry…but I'm your sister and I really want to know."

I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. "Same as always. He…he's just not very aware. We're not connected, and that makes things awkward sometimes. Actually, most of the time. But he's so good with Liam and he's been really sweet lately…"

"When was the last time you guys…you know…did it?" Rosalie asked, and I instantly flushed deep crimson red.

"God, Rose!" I exclaimed, and Rosalie cracked up. "You're so nosy…ugh. The last time we had sex…was years ago." I finally admitted, blushing even more. Rosalie's jaw dropped, and I pinched my nose between my index finger and thumb. "I know. It's awful."

"Bella…oh my God, how are you even functioning? When we were in high school you constantly freaked me out by telling me how good in bed he was! You had that for _years_ and now you're not getting any?"

I nodded, taking another drink of my coffee. "Nope. None. And yeah, I miss it…I miss sex." I complained. "Especially with Edward." I added, and Rosalie made a face. "I don't know…the other day, I kind of cracked a little bit and started to come on to him. And then I completely freaked out and didn't push it any further."

"You're ridiculous." Rosalie sighed, licking cream cheese off of her fingers. "Just because your relationship is complicated doesn't mean you can't have sex. Emmet and I had sex before we said 'I love you' to each other…it's basically the same thing, isn't it?"

"Not really." I said, biting my lip. "I know what it's like to love Edward. And if we blur those lines again…I think it's extremely possible that things get even worse and more awkward than they already are. And I can't do that…not to Edward and definitely not to Liam. Edward and I have made it this long…I hate lying to Liam, but I don't want to totally shatter his idea of what our family is."

Rosalie nodded, smiling at me. "I love you, Bella. You're my big sister. But God, you and Edward are idiotic. It's been what, like, four years since you've had sex? Just get it over with and jump him. He is your husband, after all."

I frowned at her, pursing my lips primly. "It's not exactly that simple, Rose. He's my husband…but he's not what he used to be. Well, he's not what he used to be in our relationship. I love Liam more than anything, but dear lord things would have been so much easier if I hadn't gotten pregnant. We might have made it through college and stayed together, but we may not have. We'll never know."

"Yeah, I get what you're saying." Rosalie said, cramming the last of her bagel into her mouth. "But I've got to go. Emmet is coming home on his lunch break…it's baby making time." She said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ew. Thanks for the information, Rosalie." I stuck out my tongue, and Rosalie cracked up, gathering up her purse and jacket. "Are you guys really trying?" I asked, staying in my seat as my younger sister continued to stuff her wallet and cell phone into her purse.

Rosalie grinned at me, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, we are. We just started…well, I've been off the pill for almost five weeks now. So yeah, we're definitely trying."

"Well, here's hoping you get a good boning from your husband, because God knows I won't." I snipped, and Rosalie laughed again before kissing me on the cheek and bustling out of the coffee shop.

I watched her go, finishing up the last of my coffee and thinking about what Rosalie had said…

_Just get it over with and jump him. He is your husband, after all._

…

"How was your day?" Edward asked, looking up from the negatives he was looking over.

"Fine." I said, smiling sheepishly at him. "Rosalie and I had coffee and then I had lunch with Alice…and then she dragged me to a couple of stores." I didn't feel the need to tell Edward that one of those stores had been La Perla, and that Alice had practically forced me to splurge on a very expensive lingerie set that I didn't even need. But then again, Alice had no idea what really went on in my marriage and my non-existent sex life. "What's up with you?"

Edward shrugged, closing the folder containing his picture negatives. "I just developed some pictures. I have a meeting with Alec later today." He added, and I had to contain my groan.

Alec was in charge of Edward's scheduling/managing- he was the one that sent Edward across the globe regularly and kept his schedule full so that he couldn't spend a lot of time with his son. "Oh, really? What…what are you guys going to talk about?" I questioned, hoping to hear a good reply.

"I'm trying to get fewer jobs out of the country, and more in the area." Edward explained, and I couldn't even contain my smile. "I don't want to miss out on any more of Liam's life…or yours." He added the last part on quietly, and I blushed, ducking my head so he wouldn't see.

…

**Sorry this was a bit short, my dears. But you now…real life. It often sucks really hard and today was definitely not an exception. Okay, I won't rant to you…I'll just beg for reviews and get on with things.**

**I'm hoping for almost 300 reviews after this chapter…would that be at all possible? Review, and we'll see!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	11. Chapter 11

**Still cranking out the BPOV. But I'm shooting for longer chapters from now on…as a result; there will be longer gaps between chapters. I'm not a typing machine, you silly geese! And the chapters aren't going to be like 10,000 words, by the way. I'm shooting for somewhere around 2,000 or 4,000 words.**

**But oh my goodness, thank you oh so much for your continuous praise and support and generosity in reviewing. There are almost three hundred reviews, and that is **_**awesome**_**. I really cannot thank you enough.**

**There was actually a playlist for this chapter, which hasn't happened in a long time…**

**Glycerine by Bush**

**Collide by Howie Day**

**Into Your Arms by The Lemonheads**

**Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade **

**The One That Got Away by Katy Perry**

**She Moves in Her Own Way by The Kooks**

**Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars**

**These are all pretty fantastic songs…if you're looking for something to listen to, there you have it.**

**And oh my gosh…I was just interviewed for the P.I.C. FanFic Corner for the story 'Such Difference'. I know. Exciting, right? You can read it here: **

**picffcorner (dot) blogspot (dot) com/2010/09/mrs-white-makes-such-difference-with (dot) html**

…

"Where's daddy?" Liam's face dropped when he walked out the door of his classroom, obviously expecting Edward instead of me. "Did he leave?" He cried out, his face twisting up like he was about to cry.

"Shh!" I scooped Liam up into my arms, trying to lighten the mood. "Your dad just had a meeting, Liam. He'll be home in time for dinner." I soothed him, pressing kisses to his cheeks as I walked towards the car. "But you know, honey, eventually your daddy is going to have to go back to work." I added softly, continuing to hold him tightly. "And when he does have to leave…" I sighed, trailing off. "We can talk tonight with your dad and sort things out." I finally said, relenting. "Now let's go- I have to make dinner."

Liam was silent during the car ride home, and I kept nervously glancing in the rearview mirror to check up on him. "Baby, are you okay?" I finally asked after several minutes of total silence.

There was a long pause, and then Liam spoke quietly. "I don't want daddy to leave." He whispered, and when I looked up at him in the rearview mirror again there were tears running down his face.

In that moment, I honestly had no idea what to do or say. I'd never had a problem with Edward leaving before, but now my feelings were all suddenly conflicted. And know it was not just my own feelings, by my son's feelings as well.

"I know you don't." I replied, my voice strained. "But it's his job."

"Why can't he do his job here?" Liam asked weakly, sniffling loudly.

I hesitated again, sighing. "It's more complicated than you can understand right now, Liam." I finally stated. "But your dad is always going to come back. You know that, don't you?"

"I guess so." Liam said sullenly, still sniffling. I forced myself to look back up in the rearview mirror, and Liam was still crying quietly. "I love daddy." He added.

"I know you do." I said softly. "And he loves you too, very much so."

Silence fell over us again, and I focused on the road in front of me. Liam didn't speak again until the moment I pulled the car into our driveway. "Mommy, why don't you and daddy ever say that to each other?" He asked, and I froze.

This was it. This was officially the moment where it would start getting harder and harder for Edward and me to hide the truth from our son. "Say what?" I asked, stalling for time even though I knew I could never really put off this question.

"Mommy." Liam protested, seeing right through me.

"It's complicated, Liam. And you've got to let this drop." I said firmly, getting out of the car and opening Liam's passenger door. "Now come on, you can help me get dinner ready." I said, leaning over to unbuckle his booster seat even though I knew he was capable of doing it himself.

Even after I unbuckled him, Liam didn't move. He just stared at me with a frown on his face. "I hate you." He spat out, and I stiffened again, stifling a gasp. I hadn't even known that Liam knew what those words _meant, _let alone that he knew that it would hurt me.

After I regained my ability to speak, I spoke coldly, trying to act as if I was unfazed even though I really felt like my heart was breaking after hearing my baby say those words to me. "Well, I love you." I said, forcing myself to sound indifferent. "And I am so disappointed in you for saying that, Liam, because I know it isn't true. When we get inside, you're going up to your room. No toys- just think about what you just said."

Liam got out of the car, pushing away from me. "I hate you!" He shouted again, and it hurt even worse the second time around. "I wish daddy would stay and _you _would leave!" With that, he darted through the open garage door and disappeared into the house.

I stood there, frozen in shock, trying not to break down in tears. I numbly closed the door and locked the car, and then made my way into the house. It was all quiet. Instead of starting dinner, I went upstairs to my bedroom. I looked around the empty room, and then I could no longer hold back my tears. Wiping at my eyes, I walked over to my jewelry box on top of the dresser and opened it up. I had never worn much jewelry before and didn't own much of it, so it was easy to find what I was looking for.

Even though it was still too big, I slipped the gold band onto my finger, clenching my fist so that it wouldn't fall off. And then I slid down against the wall and sat on the floor, the tears coming faster and faster.

Liam wasn't a baby anymore. It was getting harder and harder to keep the truth from him, and it wouldn't work for much longer.

I was still crying and sitting on the floor when Edward found me an hour later.

"Bella? What's wrong?" He asked, hurrying to my side and kneeling down beside me.

I shook my head, wiping my eyes. "Liam hates me." I finally admitted. "He wants me to leave instead of you. And god, Edward, we can't lie to him like this anymore. He's not a baby anymore, he sees what's going on and he realizes that something is up between you and me." I blubbered, my tears still not stopping.

Edward stared at me in confusion, reaching over to wipe away some of my tears. "He doesn't hate you." He said softly, trying to calm you down. "Liam is just a little boy…he tried to hurt you because he was upset, and it worked." Edward paused, his brow furrowing. "And what do you mean, he sees what's going on?"

"When I picked him up from school today, he got upset and thought that you had left again." I explained quietly, letting the last few tears escape and run down my cheeks. And in the car…he asked me why you and I don't say 'I love you' to each other." I explained, my voice still hoarse. "I tried to change the subject, like I always do when he asks stuff like that…and he caught on. Liam knows something is going on, Edward. He just doesn't understand it."

"Well…what do we do?" Edward asked, and he sounded totally defeated.

"I don't know…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "Actually, I _do _know. We really can't do this anymore Edward. We can't just half ass our relationship and try and fool everyone, because we're not really trying. Either…either we get our heads out of our asses and actually _try _to have a relationship, for our son, or we just…call it quits for good and go off and lick our wounds."

Edward remained quiet for a second, and then took my left hand in his. He examined it, noticing that I was wearing my too-big wedding band for the first time in months. "You're wearing it." He stated, and I knew it wasn't a question. I just nodded, and Edward nodded back.

And then he kissed me.

His lips were warm and sweet and insistent against mine, and I responded instantly, sitting up and tangling my fingers in his hair- holding him closer to me and we continued to kiss. Edward's hands went to my waist and he pulled me upwards, our lips never disconnecting, so that we were both standing.

Before I could really comprehend what was happening, Edward and I were both on the bed, still kissing and still clinging to each other desperately.

"Wait, stop." I said, wrenching away, trying to catch my breath. "We can't…Liam is in his room…"

"I know. Sorry…got carried away." Edward said, his breathing labored as well.

"No, it's okay. I…I wanted it. But just not right now." I said, my cheeks heating up as I blushed.

Edward's cheeks tinted a soft pink as well, and then we were both quiet, just looking at each other. Edward was the one to break the silence. "I think I should go talk to Liam." He murmured, and I nodded in agreement."

"I'll go start dinner." I said, and Edward hesitantly took my hand. I smiled when he did, and then he smiled back. "We can do this." I whispered. "We used to be able to do this."

"Yeah." Edward agreed, and then we both stood up off the bed. "This is going to be weird, trying to get back our relationship…but we're trying."

"Yeah." I said, echoing him. "Okay, well…" Slowly, hesitantly, I stood on my tiptoes and pecked him on the lips. "Um, I'll go start dinner now."

With that, I squeezed his hand and then released it, hurrying out of the room and down the stairs. Once I reached the kitchen I stopped, and I brought my hand up to my mouth. My lips still tingled, and my heart was still racing. Liam's hurtful words were still fresh in my mind and in my heart, still painful, but somehow…I still felt hope.

EPOV

My lips still tingled, and my heart was still racing.

There was a stupid smile plastered across my face because…I had kissed Bella, and she had kissed me back. When I had walked into our bedroom, finding her sitting on the floor crying and wearing her wedding ring was the last thing I had expected.

But I knew what she said was totally true. Liam was picking up on the abnormality of our relationship. He was only five years old but he understood what it meant to say 'I love you'- and what it meant to say 'I hate you', apparently.

"Liam." I knocked lightly on his bedroom door, pushing it open without waiting for an answer. Liam was sitting on his bed with his kneels pulled up against his chest, frowning as he looked down on the floor. "Hey." I said quietly, walking into the room and closing the door behind me. "What's going on, huh?" Liam glanced up at me then, his eyes full of unshed tears.

"I don't want you to leave." He said in a small voice. "I want you to stay with me."

I sighed loudly and sat down next to him on the bed, putting my arm around Liam's shoulders. "I'm not leaving yet." I said, trying to sound at least a little reassuring. And when I do…it will only be for a little while. I'll be back before you know it, and then I'll be home a lot more often."

"Okay." Liam murmured, cuddling up against my side.

I didn't speak for awhile, just let him relax, but after several minutes I knew that I shouldn't put it off for any longer. "Liam, we need to have a little talk about what you said to your mom earlier." I finally said, and Liam stiffened up. "I know you were just upset, but you really hurt her feelings. You don't hate your mom, I know you don't. So why did you even say that?"

"Why don't you and mommy say that you love each other?" Liam asked, totally ignoring my previous question. I remained silent, so Liam glanced up at me and continued. "Today in kindergarten the teacher said that when people love each other, they get married. You and mommy are married. Why don't you say those words to each other?"

"Because we just know." I lied. "We know how we feel, we don't have to say it out loud." That wasn't a complete lie- Bella and I _did _know how we felt about each other…at least we used to. "Liam, you need to apologize to your mom." I said firmly. "You hurt her feelings, bud. And you made her cry."

"I did?" Liam asked, his bottom lip sticking out and his eyes filling up with tears again. I nodded, and he hung his head. "Okay. I love you, daddy."

I smiled, kissing Liam's forehead and ruffling his curly hair. "I love you too, Liam. Now, go tell your mom that you're sorry, okay? She's down in the kitchen. And give her a _big _hug and kiss, too."

Liam nodded, sliding off of the bed and hurrying out of the room.

I sat on his bed for a little while longer, looking around his room. The walls were light blue and decorated with soccer posters and drawings, and there were toys littered across the soccer ball rug in the middle of the room. On Liam's nightstand, there was a lamp, a box of tissues, a clock, and a picture frame- one of those picture frame that could hold more than one picture.

I leaned in a little closer, and saw that there were five pictures in the frame, and they all made my heart melt.

The first was of Bella and me on our wedding day. We were sitting down at the reception and laughing, and Bella had her feet propped up on my lap. Her small baby bump wasn't very noticeable in the picture, but I knew that it was there. The second was a picture of Bella, Liam, and I on the day that Liam was born. Bella and I were sitting on the hospital bed, holding Liam between us and smiling for the camera. Things between Bella and I had already started to get pretty complicated at that time, but we had still been so happy when our son had been born.

The third picture of was of just Liam- I remembered that I had been the one to take it. He had been five months old at the time, and I had taken right before I had left for my first out of the country photo shoot. Liam was simply sleeping, one of his thumbs in his mouth. The fourth was of Liam's first Christmas- I remembered that day vividly as well. My flight had been delayed so I hadn't gotten home until Christmas afternoon, and Liam had already opened presents and had fallen asleep. In the picture, Bella and I were smiling for the camera as Bella held Liam, but I knew we had both been angry with each other at the time. Bella had been mad at me for missing most of Christmas, and I had been mad at her for letting Liam open presents before I got there.

The last picture was also one that I had taken- Liam and Bella were sitting on Liam's bed, laughing and hugging each other tightly. There were both beautiful, and they were both the reason I got up in the morning.

…

**I had to rush this a bit- I have to leave for work in like ten minutes!**

**Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**

Bottom of Form


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! Finally, the road to the HEA has been discovered, and Edward and Bella are just starting to travel down it…But I'm happy for them, even though they're my fictional characters. And I'm glad you're happy for them too, because I have to admit that I love them both. And Liam. And I remember when I was little and my mom made me mad and I said 'I hate you'. She cried. I cried. I said it more than once, though. But I never meant it =)**

**Okay, so from now on I'm probably going to have a chapter playlist. Because lately, I've been listening to iTunes while I'm on my laptop. Today's playlist…**

**Half of My Heart by John Mayer **

**Take My Hand by The Cab **

**Vanilla Twilight by Owl City**

**We Intertwined by The Hush Sound**

**Crazier by Taylor Swift**

**Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus **

**By the way, there's obviously going to be more BPOV in the story, as well as more EPOV.**

…

BPOV

I still felt hurt and sad as I stood over the kitchen sink, peeling potatoes for dinner. I focused on the potatoes in my hands, and the knife slicing through the skin.

"Mommy?" Liam's voice met my ears, and I tensed up. "Mommy, I'm sorry." I turned my head slightly, and saw Liam standing in the doorway. His eyes were all red, and his head was ducked. "I don't hate you." He added timidly, glancing up at me sorrowfully.

I sighed, putting down the knife and potato in my hands. "I know you don't, Liam." I said quietly, walking towards him and sinking to my knees in from of him. "Why did you say that to me?" I asked quietly, and Liam stepped closer to me, pressing his face into the juncture between my neck and shoulder.

"Because I want daddy to stay, but you don't care." Liam said in a small voice.

"Aw, that's not true." I said, cupping his cheek in my hand. "I miss him too when he's gone, Liam. But I love you, and it hurts me when you say hurtful things like that…so can we make a deal? You and I never say 'I hate you' ever again- to anyone. It hurts people and it's usually not true."

Liam nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "Okay. I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, babycakes." I said, planting a big kiss on his cheek. "Do you want to help me make dinner?"

"Okay." Liam said, and then I stood up.

Liam took my hand, and we walked back over to the sink. I picked Liam up and sat him down on the counter, handing him a scrubber. "Hold the potatoes I give you under the water and scrub them with this, okay?" I turned on the faucet and Liam did as I said, smiling at me proudly. I laughed and watched him as I continued to peel potatoes, and then sliced them and sprinkled seasoning on top.

"Hey. Do you need any help?"

I turned my head and saw Edward standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. "Actually, yeah. Can you set the table for me? Plates, forks, and butter knives, please." I said, and Edward nodded, heading towards the cabinet where we kept the plates, and then he opened the cutlery drawer. "How was your meeting with Alec?" I asked after several moments, over the noise of the running water and the clatter of plates as Edward set the table.

"Oh, it was good." Edward said, coming up behind me and resting his chin on my shoulder. "I told him about wanting to stay closer to home. He was a little put out at first- I'm his go to guy for out of the country assignments. But he gets it, I guess. I've got some assignments to finish up, though. In a couple of weeks I have to go to Kentucky to photograph some mission work done by the Appalachian Service Project…and then I've got two more big assignments to complete- one in New York City and the other in Paris."

"I'm glad." I said quietly, and then glanced over at Liam. "Did you hear that, buddy? Your dad is going to start getting jobs closer to home."

Liam nodded enthusiastically, smiling brightly. "Yay!" He cheered, and Edward and I both chuckled. Edward's proximately to me was making me feel odd- my skin felt tight and my cheeks were warm. We hadn't acted like this in a long time…touching and keeping close to each other. It felt good, but it also just felt _different_.

"I thought that maybe when I went to Paris...you could come with me." Edward said in a quiet voice, and my breath caught in my throat.

"_Paris_?" I asked, my eyes lighting up. I had never been to Paris, let alone out of the country, but I had wanted to visit Europe for the longest time. Of course, Edward remembered.

"Yeah…Liam could stay with my parents for a few days, and you and I could go together. I think that it would be good…you know, for _us_." I nodded in agreement, still bubbly and bouncy and excited at the thought of getting to go to Paris with Edward. "I won't have to go to New York City until sometime in the spring…maybe we could go during Spring Break, and take Liam with us." Edward suggested.

"What?" Liam asked, and I laughed.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

…

One Week Later:

"So…just like that?" Rosalie asked, spooning some chocolate frozen yogurt into her mouth.

I nodded, licking my spoon and then sticking it back in my empty cup. "Just like that. I don't really know what it was…I just knew I couldn't do it anymore. In the past Edward has only been home a few days at a time. This time, it's already been over three weeks, and that really made things different." I said.

"Well…good for you guys, then. I've been waiting for this to happen for years." Rosalie said, smiling slyly. "And what about my advice to you when we had lunch the other day? Have you jumped his bones yet?"

"You're my sister, Rosalie. Why do you even want to know about this stuff?" I complained.

Rosalie just laughed, finishing off the last of her frozen yogurt and tossing her cup in the trash. "I just want to make sure you're being taken care of, Bella. But I'm guessing by the fact that you're hesitating and blushing, that you and Edward haven't had sex. I'm just warning you- it's probably not going to be very good. If neither of you have had sex for years…uch." Rosalie shuddered, making a face at me. "I don't know how you survived not having sex for so long." She remarked dryly. "I would just _die_."

I rolled my eyes at my melodramatic sister. "There are other ways to get off other than sex, Rose. I do own a vibrator, you know." Rosalie cackled loudly, causing the people at the tables near us to look up in alarm.

After her laughter died down, she grinned at me. "Yeah, I know. I bought it for you."

I made a face at her and we laughed again, but when we stopped, Rosalie looked at me with a serious look on her face. "Bella…before we go on with this wonderful conversation, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Oh dear, that didn't sound very good. "Okay…is everything alright?" I asked, instantly getting worried. I couldn't help it- it was the mother in me that worried constantly.

"Yeah, everything is fine." She said, and then leaned in a little closer to me. "Bella…oh god, this is such a weird question…how long did it take for you and Edward to conceive Liam?"

"Um, Rosalie…we didn't really _intend_ to have Liam, remember? This sounds really bad, but he was the product of too much beer and faulty birth control." I blushed as I spoke, because I truly hated that I had once thought of my own son as being a mistake that Edward and I hadn't wanted. Of course, that had all changed when he had been born and Edward and I had both fallen head over heels for our tiny little son.

"Oh. Right…sorry." Rosalie mumbled, and I saw her cheeks flush. Rosalie McCarty _never _blushed. I was her sister, and I had never seen her blush until this very moment. "It's just that Emmet and I have been trying for a couple of weeks and I'm kind of losing hope."

I reached across the table and took her hand, smiling reassuringly. "Aw, Rose, you know it can take longer than that, right? It's totally normal for it to take a couple of months to get pregnant. Your body just needs to get used to all the adjustments. Honey, you're going to be a great mom, and when the time is right, it'll happen." I soothed my little sister, feeling like the older sibling for the first time in a few years. Usually, Rosalie was the more responsible one; the advice giver. And it felt good to be able to take care of her again.

"Thanks." Rosalie said, a small smile on her face. "I'm just kind of freaking out, you know? Emmet _really _wants kids. He's five years older than me…and he's ready to be a parent. I'm only twenty three, but he's wanted kids since we first met…ugh, it's all just a mess right now. But it'll be okay." She put on a brave face, glancing down at her watch. "Oh, hon, I have to go. Emmet and I are going to look at some new houses."

"You're moving?" I asked, surprised. Rosalie and Emmet lived in a great townhouse in downtown Seattle- it was Rosalie's dream house.

"Well…we're thinking about it." Rosalie said, pulling on her jacket and flipping her hair out from under her collar. "The townhouse really isn't big enough for a baby." She added by way of explanation. "Okay, I really have to go. Love you; I'll see you for dinner at mom and dad's tomorrow.

I nodded, standing up as well. "I better get going, too. But yeah, I'll see you at dinner…love you too!" We went separate ways at the door- Rosalie and Emmet's townhouse was only two blocks away. I pulled out my phone as I walked, texting Jasper.

_Are you going to dinner mom and dads tomorrow? –B_

His response came in several seconds, as I was getting in the car.

_Yeah. No Alice, though. She's feeling a little under the weather. –J_

_Oh. Is she alright? –B_

_UTI. A little too much baby making over the past few weeks. I guess if you go from a little sex to a whole bunch of sex, you can get a UTI. Who knew? –J_

I made a face, not wanting to think about my older brother's sex life.

_Seriously! God, everyone around me is baby crazy. Well, I'll see you there. –B_

_Okay. –J_

Both of my siblings wanted to become parents. It wasn't a shock or anything- they were both adults, both successful, and both married. It was totally natural for them to want to start a family with their spouses. But for some reason, I felt a little sad. I had Liam, but I couldn't help but remember how great it had been to have a baby. My baby was growing up so fast, and I felt like his infancy and toddler-years had flown by way too quickly.

Even though Edward and I were mending some fences, we were nowhere near ready to have another baby. Maybe in a few years, if things worked out for us.

…

One Week Later:

Liam and I sat on the edge of Edward and I's bed, both of us glumly watching him as he packed his suitcase. Over the past week, things have been peaceful. Edward and I have held hands and shared little kisses, but that has been it. And now, he's leaving again.

For two weeks. It was less time than most of his assignment, but it was still fourteen days.

Fourteen long days.

But Liam and I had both gone through this before- Edward leaving home, leaving us. But I knew this time would be different. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt like Edward was my husband, like he _wanted _to be with me.

After several more minutes, Edward exhaled loudly and zipped up his suitcase. "That's all. I'm ready to go."

"Come give us both a kiss." I said quietly, holding Liam in my arms. Big fat tears were rolling down his cheeks, but he was silent.

"Liam, come here." Edward said quietly, and Liam crawled out of my arms and into his. "I'll miss you, bud. But I'll call you every night, and I'll be back in two weeks." Edward held Liam close, kissing the top of his head as he spoke.

"Okay." Liam said quietly, pressing his face into Edward's shoulder. "You'll miss my soccer game."

Edward chuckled, and I had to smile as well. "I'm sorry. Have your mom tape it, okay? I'll watch it when I get home."

Liam nodded, still nuzzling against Edward. It was only seven o'clock in the morning, after all. Edward always had early flights out. "I love you."

"I love you too." Edward said, kissing Liam's cheek and squeezing him tight. "Be a good boy for your mom."

Again, Liam nodded, but I could see that his eyes were already half closed. Edward gently placed Liam on the bed, and then reached for my hand, pulling me upwards and into his arms.

"I have to get going. Will you walk me to the car?"

I nodded wordlessly, grabbing Edward's hand after he took the handle of his suitcase, pulling it behind him. "I'll miss you, Edward. Since you've been home…it's been different. I like it."

"So do I." Edward assured me, kissing my hand as we slowly walked down the stairs. "I promise, I'll call every night. And we can Skype, if my webcam behaves."

"Sounds good." I said softly as we walked out the door. The morning fall air was cool, kissing my skin and making me shiver. "Be safe, okay? I'll miss you." I said, stopping in front of the car. Edward smiled wryly and kissed me sweetly on the lips before lugging his suitcase into the backseat of the car.

"I'll miss you too." With one last kiss, he got in the car and then, for what seemed like the millionth time, he was gone.

…

**Review? Please and thank you.**

**And don't worry, the separation won't drag on for long and then Edward and Bella will be back on track.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	13. Chapter 13

**I originally planned to update 'Such Difference' first this week, but then this story line just came to me much easier. So I'm really hoping to get in update for that one sometime later in the week! As always, the response for this chapter was great. I tried to respond to a lot of the reviews, but I know there were several that I missed. Just know that every single review is greatly appreciated!**

**The playlist for this chapter is as follows…:**

**Dreaming with a Broken Heart by John Mayer **

**Bounce by The Cab **

**When the Day met the Night by Panic at the Disco**

**Where We Went Wrong by The Hush Sound**

**Stay Beautiful by Taylor Swift**

**Your Call by Secondhand Serenade**

**I'm oh so glad that you all enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks for the reviews, and please keep it up. This chapter goes back to EPOV, maybe with a little BPOV at the end. We'll see? An unfortunately, this chapter won't be as long as the last two. My little brother just got the news that his ex-girlfriend (they broke up a few weeks ago) died in a car crash. Needless to say, I've been spending time with him and this is just a filler chapter.**

…

EPOV

By now, I should be completely used to flying. I've been through countless airports and planes and flights, but the unsettling feeling of getting on an airplane still lingered with me for some reason. And now, it was even stronger. I knew why- because for the first time in a long time, I had hope for my relationship back at home with Bella. I had always hated leaving Liam behind, especially if something were to go wrong, but Bella had been more towards the back of my mind. But now, I was terribly aware that it was _both _of them I was leaving this time.

It was only for fourteen days. That was less time than most of my assignments usually took, but it seemed like it would last forever.

I was restless during the flight, and by the time the plane landed in Lexington I was antsy and anxious. As I left the airport and walked towards the car rental place, I pulled out my phone to see that I had a text from Bella, sent just a few minutes after my flight had taken off several hours ago.

**Have a safe flight. Liam and I are counting the hours till you get home =) –B**

I smiled as I read it, and then quickly replied.

**Flight was good. And I'll do the same. –E**

…

Instead of staying in a hotel like I usually did, I would be staying at a middle school in the town where ASP would be working all summer. When I got there, I had to do my best to stifle a groan. While I could have been sleeping next to Bella in a warm, cozy bed, I was stuck on a twin sized air mattress on the hard floor of a hot gym. I thought ASP did great work, and I was happy to be here instead of halfway across the world, but it was still hard to get used to.

After my tour, I was given a schedule and maps to all the different work sites I was going to be photographing, and then I was left in peace. Immediately, I pulled out my cell phone and was dismayed to see that I barely had any service. Hoping that it would go through, I dialed our Bella's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Her voice was a little faint, but it still sounded pretty damn beautiful to me.

"Hey, Bella. I'm here." I said, glancing around my surroundings and sighing. Fourteen days to go.

After a split second of hesitation, I heard her laugh. "Oh, God. It feels really good to hear your voice." She said happily. "This feels so different than it usually does." She added softly, and I couldn't help but agree. This really was different this time. Usually, it felt kind of good to be out of the house. I loved being with Liam, but the relationship between Bella and I had always been strained over the past few years.

"I know." I said honestly, running my free hand through my hair. "How's Liam doing?"

"He's good. I'm actually at his soccer game right now." Bella explained, and as she spoke I could hear cheering and talking in the background.

"Are they winning?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.

I wasn't sure how games between a bunch of five year olds could be so competitive, but for some reason they really were. "Um, yeah, they are. It's one to zero." Bella informed me. "Emmet is getting way too competitive. He threw his clipboard a few minutes ago." She said with a laugh.

"Wow." I rolled my eyes. I didn't mind my brother in law all that much, but I didn't think he should be such a bad example at a soccer game between five year olds. Plus, I was definitely jealous of the time he got to spend with my wife and son. "What are you guys doing tonight?" I asked, wanting to both kill time and find out about what they would be doing in my absence.

"After the game gets over with, Liam and I are going over to have dinner at my mom and dad's house. Oh, and I forget to let you know that Alice is pregnant."

"Really?" I asked, not suppressing my smile.

"Yeah. She and Jazz are making the whole big formal announcement tonight, but Alice let it slip when I had lunch with her earlier this afternoon.

I raised my eyebrows and laughed, because that sounded just like Alice- unable to keep a secret for anything. "Tell them congratulations for me, okay? I have to get going…I have to participate in all the group activities going on."

"Okay, I will. I'll see you in fourteen days." Bella said softly.

"Thirteen." I corrected. "I don't think the rest of today should count."

Bella laughed, and that made me smile. "Alright then. Thirteen days."

BPOV

Liam rested his head against my chest as we both lay in my bed late that night, content in my arms. It was late- past his bedtime- but he also realized how different Edward's absence felt this time. He had always missed Edward when he was gone, but this was different. Edward had been home for weeks, forming a more solid bond with Liam, and then suddenly he was off traveling again.

I didn't know for sure, but I was guessing that Liam didn't understand what was going on between Edward and me.

I raked my fingers through his curly hair as I held him, pressing the occasional kiss to the crown of his head. "Ready for bed yet, baby?" I asked after another hour or so, and Liam sleepily nuzzled my shoulder.

"Can I stay with you?" He murmured, and I saw that he had just slipped his thumb into his mouth.

"Don't do that, sweetie." I scolded gently, moving his thumb out of his mouth. "You're too big for that." Liam looked up at me, sleepily and bashfully, and I kissed him again. "But you can sleep in my bed just for tonight. I know you miss your daddy. So go put your jammies on and brush your teeth and then come back."

Liam nodded sorrowfully, and scampered off quickly. I sighed and folded down Edward's side of the bed- the only time I did that was when Edward was home, or when Liam slept in bed with me. After I brushed my teeth and changed and washed my face and finished up the rest of my nightly routine, I returned to bed to find Liam cuddled up on Edward's side, wrapped up in blankets and already fast asleep.

Sighing, I turned off the light and crawled into bed, kissing the top of Liam's head as I snuggled up to him, wrapping my arms around him and holding him gently.

Even though I had my baby safe in my arms, I was still counting down the days, hours, and minutes until Edward would be home again. For the first time, we were both actually dedicated to making our family, our marriage, work. And that felt good. I would see him again in thirteen days.

Just thirteen days.

…

**I apologize once again for this chapter being short. I just need to be there for my brother, you know? I still want to update 'Such Difference', but that may have to wait until after this weekend. It depends on whether or not I go to the visitation and funeral.**

**ASP does some really great work. I have been on one ASP trip. It was two summers ago and we did work in Kentucky. The work was hard at times, hot as hell, and tiring, but it really is a wonderful organization.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you so much for the reviews, guys. It's pretty much just really freaking awesome. I appreciate it so much; I can't even fully express it. This chapter doesn't have much to do with Edward and Bella. This one kind of focuses on Liam, because come on, the kid is pretty freaking adorable. And given how his parents have been unintentionally stressing him out, I think he deserves this. So this chapter is a Bella/Liam day with some Edward/Liam flashbacks.**

**And here is the delightful playlist for this chapter. Oh, and these are all songs I really, really like. So they're not just ones I found. I actually listen to them. All the time:**

**The One That Got Away by Katy Perry**

**Not Like the Movies by Katy Perry **

**Need by Hana Pestle**

**For the Nights I Can't Remember by Hedley**

**The Best Day by Taylor Swift**

**So yeah, this chapter is BPOV. But we'll still see a bit of Edward, so don't fret, my little kittens.**

**Thanks to Wendy for pre-reading…she catches my silly mistakes!**

…

BPOV

Liam bounced up and down excitedly on the couch, waiting for the laptop to get started up. Edward had been gone for three days, but this was the first time we had gotten to Skype. Liam was fascinated by the idea alone, and he was already missing Edward terribly. He tried to sleep in my bed every night even though he knew that it usually wasn't allowed. But it broke my heart when he came into the room crying, so I would let him. I might have been spoiling him, but Liam was my baby.

He was my only baby. And now with the news of Alice and Jasper's baby, which was due in six months, and with Emmet and Rosalie trying to start a family, babies were on my mind.

"Daddy!" Liam screeched, because as soon as the computer started up, Edward's picture flashed across the screen along with the words 'Edward Cullen calling'. My heart started beating frantically, and I readjusted Liam on my lap quickly before hitting 'Answer with video'. And immediately, there he was.

I don't know how it was possible since it had only been three days, but I thought that Edward already looked different. He obviously hadn't shaved since leaving- he was starting to grow a beard. But he was still so beautiful.

"Hey, guys." He sounded worn and tired, but there was still a smile on his lips.

"Daddy, hi!" Liam shouted, leaning in close to the camera. "I see you!"

Edward's lips curved up into an even bigger smile, if that was possible, and he laughed. "I see you too, kiddo. Are you being good for your mom and taking care of her?" He asked, and I stifled a laugh. Liam fancied himself as being my protector and the man of the house whenever Edward was gone.

"Yes sir, I am." He said happily, looking over his shoulder and smiling at me. "Right, mommy?"

"Right." I confirmed, and Liam giggled. "How are you doing?" I asked, quickly turning my attention back to Edward.

He shrugged. "Okay. There isn't a lot to do around here after I get my work done, but I've gotten some really great shots. If I get enough, I might even be able to get out of here a little earlier than planned."

"Wow. That would be…great, honestly. We can't wait for you to get home." I said, feeling a little bashful. I hadn't been like this with Edward in a long time…it had been years since we had been sweet and attentive and couple-y towards each other. And it was easier to fall back into step with him that I had ever thought, even though we still had a long way to go until we were back on track.

"Yay!" Liam cheered, clapping his hands together. "I have another soccer game next week, daddy. It's our last one until next year." He added the last bit with a little pout on his face.

"Well, then I'll try my hardest to be there." Edward assured him, and I watched as he ran one of his hands through his hair restlessly. "How was your last game?" He asked, but I noticed that he seemed a little distracted.

Liam prattled on for awhile, and Edward listened dutifully, but his eyes flickered over to meet mine every once and a while, and we shared secret smiles. And that let me know that he and I both felt this change, and that this could all work out if we both put everything on the line.

…

"Wow. I get to pick it out?" Liam asked, carefully surveying the line of huge pumpkins in front of him. "All by myself?"

I nodded, absentmindedly playing with the collar of his grey pea coat. It was the beginning of October now, and it was definitely getting chilly outside. Today, I had bundled Liam up in his coat and an emerald green beanie before we walked a few blocks to the farmer's market. "Yep, it's all you, buddy. You and I will carve it later, and then when your daddy gets home, you can carve another one."

Liam's eyes lit up at the prospect of getting to carve more pumpkins, and I couldn't help but laugh and my son's behavior. Last year on Halloween, Edward had been in Australia. The year before that, he had been in Maine. And Liam didn't at all remember his Halloweens before that. So having Edward around for this Halloween was important to him, and that included all the silly activities that went along with Halloween, like pumpkin carving and costume shopping and the annual elementary school Halloween parade.

"I like this one." Predictably, Liam wrapped his arms around the largest pumpkins, smiling up at me broadly. He couldn't even lift the pumpkin up off the ground.

"Of course you do." I said with a laugh, gently nudging the pumpkin with my foot. I seriously doubted I would be able to lift it, either. "Okay, stay right there, I'm going to get someone to help…" I trailed off and gasped in surprise as someone wrapped their arms around me from behind. I whirled around, and laugh escaped my lips when I came face to face with my beautiful younger sister.

"Aunt Rose!" Liam chirped happily, and he was instantly at her side, tugging on the hem of her sweater. "Look at my pumpkin!"

Rosalie glanced at the pumpkin, and then leaned down and kissed Liam's cheek. "That's _awesome." _She exhaled, and Liam puffed out his chest proudly. Rosalie smiled wryly and shrugged at me, and I laughed quietly.

"Hey, Rose." I said, unable to stop myself from stepping forward and hugging my sister. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh," she waved her hand off towards the right "Emmet wants a pumpkin, too. He's already got something all planned out for it."

I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, and then stuck my hands in the pocket of my jeans. "Do you think he could give me a hand with this?" I gestured towards the pumpkin Liam had selected. "I can't even lift it."

Rosalie nodded, glancing over his shoulder. "Yeah, he'll help. Did you guys walk here?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and silently asking me why I hadn't just driven if I knew we would be getting a pumpkin, especially one like this.

"I know. I thought he'd pick a little one, like he did last year…" I trailed off, sighing. "He's growing up in all kinds of ways." I said wistfully, and Rosalie wrinkled her nose sympathetically. "I've got to accept that he's not really my little baby anymore, I guess."

"Mommy, I'm not a baby." Liam piped up, sliding his hand into mine. "But I'll take care of you now, I promise."

Rosalie lost it, cracking up laughing. "Liam, you're the cutest thing…" She managed to say through her giggles. "And yeah, you do take good care of your mom." She added quickly as Liam started to frown slightly at her laughter.

Liam nodded briskly, and another smile tugged at the corner of my lips. He was my little man.

…

Rosalie and I lagged behind Emmet and Liam as we all walked back towards my house- Emmet toting Liam's huge pumpkin and another medium sized one for him and Rosalie.

"How goes the…baby making?" I asked quietly, and Rosalie sighed. "Ugh. I'm sorry." I said immediately, but she shook her head.

"It's okay, Bella. I'm just starting to get frustrated. You and Edward have Liam, Alice and Jasper are having a baby, and I'm so ready to be a parent…I just want it to happen already so I can have a family."

"Rosalie, you and Emmet _are _a family." I interjected quickly. "You'll be an amazing mother and Emmet will be an amazing father, I have no doubts about it, but you can't force stuff like this. Maybe you should just…let it happen, you know? When it's time, it's time."

She snorted, playing with the ends of her long, golden hair. "I know. I'm just being impatient. But you've got a great kid- until I get one of my own, I'll just keep on loving yours."

I smiled, slipping my arm through the crook of hers. "Sounds like a deal."

…

As I puttered around the kitchen after dinner- which Rosalie and Emmet had ended up staying for- my cell phone started to ring. I picked it up and tucked it between my shoulder and ear, answering lazily. "Yeah?"

"My goodness, you sound so happy to hear from me." Edward's lilting, velvet voice met my ears, and I perked up instantly. "I know you're probably busy, but I just need a quick favor."

I glanced into the living room where Emmet, Liam, and Rosalie were playing the Wii, knowing that they'd be fine without me there. "It's no problem. What do you need?"

"Ah, thanks. Okay, in my darkroom I've got an envelope full of pictures sitting out on the desk that I forgot to bring with me. Could you go down and grab those and fax them to me? I'll give you the fax number of the school I'm at."

"Sure." I jotted the number down quickly, and then bade Edward goodbye. I could hear a bunch of voices in the background, and he explained that everyone was playing some kind of game and was sort of in the middle of it. I hung up the phone and slid it back into my pocket as I hurried down the stairs into the basement. It was all unfinished except for the room that served as Edward's darkroom. I ducked inside quickly, hating how creepy it seemed.

I quickly located the envelope he was talking about and grabbed it, but something caught my eye as I turned to leave the room. Sitting on top of one of the tables in the room was another envelope label 'Bella/Liam'. My curiosity immediately got the better of me and I grabbed it, bringing it upstairs with me.

I examined the envelope labeled 'Bella/Liam' as I faxed the other envelope to Edward, and then I simply couldn't handle it anymore. I carefully opened the envelope up and slid the pictures out, and my breath caught it my throat immediately.

…

**Little cliffy- nothing bad, I promise. And we're getting a lot closer to the HEA, which I am very excited about as well. There was a **_**huge **_**delay in getting this chapter out. I was super busy and for some reason never managed to get around to it…until tonight, and I wrote this all as I was watching "Desperate Housewives". I'm not sure what story I'm going to update next, but I want to get around to finishing this one up. There are about ten chapters left and I'm itching to get to the really good part.**

**Anyway, stick with me. It'll all get done, and we'll all be happy. I pinky swear.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yay! I'm glad they're getting all cutesy too, guys. They're still got a lot of talking to do, but the big lovey dovey reunion is just around the corner, don't you fret about it. If you've got any questions, don't hesitate to ask, by the way. I probably won't answer through reviews, but I'll answer them in the next update for sure. **

**As always, here is the playlist for this chapter:**

**Yellow by Coldplay**

**The Only Exception by Paramore**

**Love like This by The Summer Set**

**Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance**

**The Scene is Dead- Long Live the Scene by Cobra Starship**

**The World has it's Shine by Cobra Starship**

**More BPOV and the mini-cliff hanger will be answer ASAP. Edward won't make his return in this chapter, but in the next. So we'll see more of what's going on with Bella, as well as time with some of the other members of the family. And there's a little bit of angst coming up, but definitely not between Edward and Bella. Think about it…how would you feel if you found out that sisters or daughter's marriage had been a lie from the start? ****- hint!**

**For the millionth time (it won't ever be enough!), thanks for pre-reading Wendy!**

…

BPOV

Like the rest of Edward's pictures, they were beautiful and artistic and had a…_intimate _quality to them. The first few were simple- they were of Liam.

Playing soccer, jumping in piles of leaves, snuggled up on the couch watching television; they simply captured the sweetest and purest Moments. The next few, however, were the ones that truly touched my heart.

They were of me.

And not in a creepy way- in a beautiful way. I wasn't sure how I hadn't noticed him taking some of these, though. There was one of me at Liam's soccer game, one of me cooking in the kitchen, and several other candid shots that were raw and simple and just…me.

I gently touched my fingers to my lips, allowing myself to fantasize for just a Moment before quickly putting the pictures back in the envelope and putting them right back where I had found them. They were sweet and lovely, but they were Edwards; we certainly wouldn't get anywhere in our relationship if we couldn't trust each other.

…

Several Days Later:

My Mom glanced up from her magazine as I walked into the kitchen, smiling. "Bella! I didn't know you were stopping by." She exclaimed, and then pushed a plate of pastries towards me as I sat down across from her at her kitchen table.

"Neither did I, honestly." I said easily, taking a bite of a crepe. "I just dropped Liam off at school and was headed to the post office…and I thought I'd visit. I haven't seen you at all in the past week."

"A whole week!" My Mom teased me, but I knew that she always enjoyed the close relationship that we shared. Unlike mothers and daughters who didn't see each other very often, we always made the effort to keep up with each other and bond as often as we could. "I know, honey." She said, becoming serious. "But your week must have been busy…I know Edward's gone a lot, but you must have been busy sending him off."

I nodded in agreement, my heart fluttering at the mere mention of Edward's name. "Liam's still pretty blue." I remarked, and my Mom shook her head sympathetically. But Edward's been skyping with him almost every single night, so that helps.

"And you must miss him as well." My Mom said, closing her magazine. "He is your husband after all, and you're constantly apart."

I shrugged, at once feeling guilty that my mother, not to mention the rest of my family save for Rosalie and Emmet, didn't know the truth about the previous state and circumstances of Edward and I's marriage.

"Sadly, I'm getting used to it. But he's going to be home more often now. He had a talk with his manager and worked out a deal so that he can stay closer to home if he needs to travel. After he finishes up a few more big assignments, Edward will be around much more often."

"Well good." My Mom said, beaming. "And you know that your father and I would like to see him around more often, too, you know. He is our son in law, after all." She added, and I rolled my eyes. "Don't be like that, Isabella, you know how much we love our family." She reprimanded, seeing the roll of my eyes and not taking kindly to it.

"I know. Sorry." I said, feeling like a child again. "And I know you love him too." I sighed, leaning forward and placing my elbows on the table. "Do you and Dad want to stop by for dinner tonight? I'm not half as good of a cook as you are, but I was planning on making hamburgers. It's probably the last time I'll use the grill until spring."

"Sounds great. What about Rosie and Emmet? And Alice and Jasper and Carlisle and Esme?" She immediately questions, and I had to suppress a groan.

"Aw, Mom, you know how much I love being with everyone…but not tonight, not while Edward's gone. Just me, you, dad and Liam." I said.

My Mom placed her hand over one of mine, squeezing gently. "Of course, love. It's up to you! We'll all get together again when Edward gets back." She said decisively, and I grinned. "When exactly will he be getting back, by the way?"

I shrugged, turning my hand over so that our palms were touching. "It'll either be this weekend or next, he hasn't let me know for sure yet. Hopefully this weekend, it's Liam's last soccer game until next summer." I twisted my wedding ring around my finger. It was still way too big, but there wasn't much I could do about it.

I was perfectly healthy- there was no reason for me to gain any weight. But still, I felt like I should be wearing the ring. So for now, I was just being extra careful not to let it slip off.

"What's this, now?" My Mom reached over and picked up my left hand. "You're going to lose that." She remarked, looking at the loose ring and clucking her tongue at me. Then she paused again, looking curious. "Has it been loose all this time?" She asked, and I knew what she was thinking.

Despite all the time I spent with my Mom and the rest of our family, none of them had really noticed that I scarcely wore my wedding ring.

Usually it was okay because I was right handed, but if they ever said anything about it, I would make a simple, believable excuse.

"Uh…no, it's been loose for awhile." I said honestly. "I just haven't done anything about it."

My Mom frowned, raising her eyebrows. "Ooo-kay." She said, easily letting the subject drop.

Sensing the lapse in conversation, I quickly changed the subject. "I can't believe Jasper and Alice are having a baby." I blurted out, and a huge smile overtook my Mom's face.

"Oh, I know!" She said happily, grinning. "I'm so excited…another little grandbaby to spoil rotten." She tapped my forearm gently, a smirk on her face now. "What about you and Edward? I know me prying into your personal business is the last thing you want, but are you ever going to have more babies?"

I blushed, groaning. My Mom laughed, and I shook my head at her. "I don't know, Mom." I hesitated, wondering how much of the truth I should tell her. "Things have been a little…rocky…in the past. It's not time for more children, not right now."

"Rocky? Like, you've been having problems?" Her face was instantly overcome with worry, making me feel guilty.

"We'll be okay." I said quickly, rubbing my forehead with the palm of my head. "The problems are over now; we just need to…get back on track." I explained, and my Mom sucked in a deep breath.

"Bella, you know you could have come to me if you-"

I interrupted quickly, not wanting her to feel bad for something that was completely the fault of Edward and I. "I know I could have, Mom, and I know you would have helped. But it's all okay now, really. We're moving past it, and everything will be back to how it used to be back in high school." I hesitated for a second, immediately realizing the little blunder I had just made.

"Back in high school?" My Mom's eyebrows scrunched together, and she frowned. "How long have these problems been going on, Bella?" Her voice rose slightly at the end, and I knew that I couldn't go back on what I had just said.

"Mom…" I trailed off as she gave me an extremely disapproving look, and had to surrender. "You know why Edward and I got married." I whispered after a long silence, trying not to cry. "If I hadn't gotten pregnant, we wouldn't have, and things would be different, and we-"

My Mom interrupted me, even more confused. "What are you trying to tell me, Bella? Honey, I'm trying to understand…"

"I can't do this right now, Mom, I'm sorry." I finally said, quickly getting up from the table. I picked up my purse from the floor and bolted, running out of the house and getting straight into my car. I looked in the rearview mirror as I drove off- she hadn't followed me outside.

Tears slipped freely down my face as I drove the familiar road home, and I didn't do anything to stop them.

…

**I apologize that this chapter is once again a bit shorter, but that's the way it goes. Now, I'm watching Glee with my husband and his little man brigade, so I've got to be going…I hope you enjoyed, please review.**

**Oh, and I hoped you liked the quick update, I'm trying to continue on with that…**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	16. Chapter 16

**So yeah, Bella kind of let that little bit of information slip to her mom…but please understand that she honestly did not mean to tell her mom. Personally, it would be impossible for me **_**not **_**to talk to someone about problems in my life. But it's not really me, it's Bella. And Edward, of course. But don't worry; things really are going to be sorted out for **_**everyone**_**. And regarding Rosalie's pregnancy woes…one reviewer totally guessed right…that's all I have to say about that.**

**And here is The Always-Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift (hasn't been released yet, but it's on YouTube) **

**Marry You by Bruno Mars**

**Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars**

**Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths**

**Love Story by the always fabulousTaylor Swift**

**Automatic Eyes by The Academy Is…**

**Wow. Are you guys excited for the reappearance of Edward? Because I sure am. And so are Liam and Bella, obviously. It'll happen for suresy in this chapter so you won't have to wait much longer. However, this chapter is a bit shorter than what I would like. But the next update won't be until the end of the week, so I decided I wanted to get this one out now.**

**Enjoy and review if you are so inclined. Thanks a billion million to Wendy for her pre-reading and corrections, which are a life-saver. Well, a story-saver.**

…

BPOV

Dinner that night was awkward, to say the least. It was obvious that my Mom hadn't said anything to my dad about what was going on. I was thankful for that, but it didn't make the situation all that much easier. The focus remained on Liam most of the night, though, so I didn't have to address it. But when my parents left, my Mom gave me a look that let me know that she wanted the truth, and all the right answers.

I knew I had to give them to her, but I couldn't really do that until I talked to Edward.

I also knew that there was a very obvious shift in not only the relationship between Edward and me, but between Edward and Liam as well. Liam had always loved his father, and had always asked about him and missed him whenever Edward would be gone. But this time was so different. He was at the age where he really honestly wanted to be around Edward- he was just a little boy who wanted to be around his daddy.

So that made it even harder on me than before.

The first week dragged by slowly, and Liam and I both kept to our regular routines, with the addition of a phone call every morning from Edward and chatting on Skype every night.

…

"I've got to go, buddy. It's almost light's out here." Edward said regretfully, and Liam instantly pouted and started complaining.

"No, stay." He whined, leaning in closer to the camera and shifting around on my lap. "I want you to tuck me into bed!" Tears started running down his face, and I had no idea what to do.

I tightened my arms around him and, like all mothers, wished there was something I could do to stop his tears forever. "He'll be home soon." I murmured in Liam's ear, but that did nothing at all to console him, making me feel even more useless.

"Hey, Liam, please stop crying. It's okay." Edward said, sounding just as sad and exasperated as I felt. "Every night, you and I are looking at the same moon. We're still together." Liam quieted down some, but continued to cry softly. "I'll be home tomorrow night to tuck you in." Edward promised, and Liam and I both looked up in shock.

"What!" I asked, and Edward grinned sheepishly.

"I emailed some of the best pictures I've gotten to Alec, and he gave me the all clear. I'll let you know when my flight gets in as soon as I can." He explained.

Liam glanced away from the camera and back up to me, his eyes wide. "Mommy! Daddy is coming home tomorrow!" He said excitedly, and Edward and I both laughed. Liam turned to the camera again, making Edward's smile get bigger as well. "I'm excited." He added, and I kissed the top of his head.

"Yep, I'll see you tomorrow after school." Edward assured him, glancing over his shoulder. "But I've really got to leave now, okay? Goodnight, I love you, and I can't wait to see both of you."

My smile involuntarily grew larger at his last words, and so did Edward's. "Bye!" Liam and I both chorused, waving. Liam blew kisses, which Edward pretended to catch. A few minutes of goodbyes later, we turned the camera and laptop off, and Liam cuddled up in my lap.

"Are you excited to see daddy, too?" Liam asked, his breath warm against my neck.

"Of course I am." I said, struggling to stand up off the couch with Liam in my arms. He seemed to be getting bigger and growing in leaps every day, another reason that I was glad to have Edward home again. He shouldn't be missing the rest of his son's life for anything, not even for work.

"So am I." Liam informed me, clinging to me tightly as I slowly started to carry him up the stairs. He wasn't heavy or anything, but it was still quite the hike to get him upstairs.

After I had Liam in bed and had gotten all ready for bed myself, I walked back downstairs to make sure all the windows and doors were locked, and when I did I saw that I had a missed call and a voicemail message on my phone.

Curious, I picked up my cell phone and saw that both were from Edward. I played the message, and my heart swelled. "I wanted to surprise Liam, so I didn't say anything over Skype…I'm catching the red eye, and my plane will be in around two in the morning. I hope that's okay. My flight is at eleven your time, so call me before then."

Trying not to squeal out in excitement, I deleted the voicemail and immediately called Edward back. "I can't believe you're coming home early…you little sneak." I teased him right as he picked up the phone.

"I know. Think Liam will like the surprise?" Edward asked, and I had to admit that he would.

"Yeah, I'm sure he will. He's already head over heels that you'll be home tomorrow afternoon…he's going to lose it when he wakes up and finds out you're already home." I said with a laugh.

There was a slight pause, so I continued. "I'm glad you're coming home early, too." I added, my voice hushed. "My mom kind of knows…that something is up between us." Edward exhaled loudly, and I continued quickly. "She doesn't know the whole story, she just knows we've had some problems for awhile. But before I talk to her about it, I want to talk to you about _us_, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it." Edward said, his voice low. "We'll talk about it tomorrow during the day, alright? I'm anxious to get to see you and Liam, and I know you and I have a lot of work to do…so I thought maybe we could go out to dinner together, just the two of us. Not tomorrow night, but the next. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds great." I said quickly. "I have to get a babysitter for Liam…I'll just ask Rosalie."

"Okay. Well, I've got to get my stuff together and get ready to go. I'll see you soon." Edward said, and I smiled serenely.

"Alright. Have a safe flight." I said, and Edward and I exchanged goodbyes before we both hung up. Laced with excitement, I ran back upstairs, peeked in at Liam, and then hurried to my bedroom. I still had my cell phone in my hand, so I quickly dialed Rosalie's number.

"Hello?" She answered on the third ring, soundly bored.

"Hey, Rose, it's Bella." I said, practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Are you busy, or can you talk?"

She laughed, and I heard voices in the background. "No, I'm not busy. Emmet's friends are over and they're making me watch some stupid movie…I can definitely talk."

"Okay, great. Well, Edward just called and informed me that he finished up early and is taking the red eye back to Seattle…he'll get here early in the morning. Anyway, we're going to dinner the next night, so could you look after Liam? It wouldn't be too late…we'd probably be home around ten or so."

"Ooh, good for you." Rosalie said with a giggle, and I rolled my eyes at her antics. "And yeah, I can babysit, no problem. I'm just glad you guys are finally going to actually work on your relationship." Rosalie said with a sigh. "Honestly, it's about time."

"You're telling me." I said, and then looked up at my reflection in the mirror. This was _not _how I wanted to look when Edward got home…my hair was wet and tangled, leftover traces of makeup were smeared around my eyes, and I was wearing an oversized tee shirt and sweats- certainly not very attractive and not the proper attire for welcoming Edward home. "Rose, I've got to go. But thanks so much! I'll let you know what time, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Rosalie said, and I could tell she was smiling. "Have fun, big sister."

…

I hadn't gotten a shred of sleep. It was almost one thirty, and still no sign of Edward. I was sitting in the living room, watching out the window to see when Edward would pull up. I had brushed my hair and let it dry, and it rested over my shoulders like a curtain. I hadn't bothered with any makeup- it was one o'clock in the morning, after all- but had scrubbed my face clean with soap and water and moisturizer. And I was wearing a short, dark blue nightgown that I had gotten at Victoria's Secret during a shopping trip with Alice a few months ago.

I felt simple and beautiful and more than ready for him to come home.

After several more minutes of impatient, anxious waiting, his car quietly and slowly rolled up into the driveway.

I immediately stood up and quietly opened the front porch, stepping outside into the chilly night air. I watched in silence as he got out of the car, our eyes meeting. A smile spread out across both of our faces and we walked towards each other, meeting in the middle.

"Welcome home," was all I managed to whisper before he pressed his lips against mine in a perfect kiss.

…

**P.S. Blakely is FIVE MONTHS OLD! I feel like its flashing before my eyes already…she rolls over now. And sticks everything in her mouth. And is starting to teethe.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	17. Chapter 17

**Ah! Edward's back! Bella's wearing a nightie! There have been some pretty saucy developments in the last chapter, and I am pleased to say that their physical relationship will be moving right along, too. You may think they're moving a little fast, but hey…they're adults, with a prior intimate relationship. And they haven't had sex in four **_**years**_**. Give 'em a break.**

**The Always and Forever Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Lucky by Jason Mraz (or by the cast of Glee…their version was pretty awesome too!)**

**Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney**

**Grenade by Bruno Mars**

**Sweet Disposition by The Smiths**

**Dakota by A Rocket to the Moon**

**Pain by Jimmy Eat World**

**So apparently you all **_**were **_**excited for the reappearance of Edward. I'm glad! And my outline for the chapter is still a little unclear at the moment…they'll probably have their date in this chapter, but it could very well be at the beginning of next chapter instead. Wait and see, I suppose.**

**Oh, Wendy…thanks =) This chapter hasn't gone through Wendy yet, but I got anxious. Once she bestows her wisdom upon my writing, the edited version will be up!**

…

BPOV

The moment our lips parted was a million moments too soon.

"I…I missed you." I said breathlessly, my lips only a few centimeters away from Edward's. Unable to resist, I kissed him again, my hands tangling in his hair. We broke apart again, and both of us were smiling.

"I missed you, too." Edward said, his hands lingering in my hair. Then he looked me up and down, and his smile grew. "I like this." He added, his strong fingers finding the hem of my nightie and tugging gently.

My cheeks flushed warm with a predictable blush, and Edward chuckled softly. "Liam is going to be so excited to see you." I said, quickly changing the subject. "Do you want to go surprise him now, or wait until he wakes up in the morning?"

"Let's wait until he wakes up." Edward said suggestively, kissing me again. "He needs his sleep, and I need to…spend some time with you." I blushed again, even though this was _Edward_. My husband. "Let's go upstairs." Edward finally said, not looking too far into my slight hesitation.

We untangled from each other, laughing, and hauled Edward's suitcases upstairs. As always, he peeked in on Liam as he walked past the room, but didn't wake him. And when we got to our room, the suitcases were quickly dropped and once again, we found familiarity in each other's soft kisses.

His warm thumbs stroked my jaw line as we kissed, backing up towards the bed and falling onto it without even paying attention. My entire body felt tingly and warm all over, but I didn't let that faze me. I just focused on how good Edward was making me feel- good and loved and cherished.

"Bella…" Edward's mouth found its way to my neck, kissing and sucking gently. "You're so pretty." He said softly, and suddenly his lips left my neck and he leaned back slightly, his eyes searching mine. "I don't think we should…do anything _else_…until we talk some more. About us." He said, although he sounded pained.

"You're right." I said softly, licking my lips and then scooting away from Edward slightly. "Rosalie is watching Liam for us…so we can go out to dinner or something, if you want."

Edward smiled crookedly, his eyes shining in the faint darkness of our room, only illuminated by the small lamp in the corner. "Yeah, that sounds great." He murmured. "Anything specific in mind? Because I've got a few ideas…"

But I never found out about these 'ideas', because his lips found mine again or maybe mine found his, but suddenly we were kissing again and neither of us bothered to stop.

…

We woke up in the same position- cuddled together on top of the comforter, embracing. I held still for a moment, not really remembering the last time we had woken up together like this- holding each other contently. Then again, I couldn't remember the last time we had spent the night kissing each other until our lips were chapped, either.

After several minutes, Edward shifted around underneath me, and then his eyelids peeked open. "Hey." He muttered groggily, not even making an effort to sit up or move around too much. "What time is it?"

I lazily glanced over the clock on the nightstand, and then snuggled back up against Edward. "Only six thirty." I said sleepily, yawning. "Liam will probably be up soon to watch his Saturday morning cartoons, but until then…" I couldn't help but grin at my own forwardness as I leaned forward and my lips meshed together with Edward's, neither of us giving a damn about morning breath.

We just gave a damn that we were actually trying again.

…

An hour and a half later, Edward and I finally rolled out of bed, smiles plastered across our faces. My lips were numb, but I didn't care.

When we walked down into the living room, Liam was sitting on the couch, half asleep as he watched his cartoons. He didn't even look up as I walked in with Edward. "Hey, Liam. Good morning." I said, smiling and closing watching Liam so that I wouldn't miss his reaction.

"Good morning, mommy." Liam said sleepily, not looking up at me.

Edward and I exchanged amused glances, and then Edward walked over and sat on the couch. "Hey." He said casually, and I stifled a laugh. Liam didn't move for a moment, and then his face lit up and his head whipped around to face Edward.

"Daddy!" He shouted, diving into Edward's lap and wrapping his arms around him. "You're home!" He said, resting his head on Edward's shoulder while hugging him, his eyes closing contently. Then one of his little eyes peeked open, staring at me. "You tricked me, mommy." He scolded, but there was still a sweet smile on his angelic face.

"It was supposed to be a surprise." I pointed out, walking over to the couch and sitting down next to Edward, molding myself to his body without a second thought or hesitation. If my closeness surprised Edward, he didn't let it show. He just wrapped one of his arms around me and the other around Liam, a smile on his face. "And don't you think it was a good one?"

Liam giggled and buried his face in the crook of Edward's neck. "Good surprise." He agreed, his voice muted.

Not wanting the sweet moment between the three of us to be disturbed, I reached over and used the remote to mute the television, and then silence washed over us. It was a content silence, and all I did was feel close to my husband and our son. Edward and I weren't perfect- but no one is perfect. We may have a lot of work to do, but it's still _us_, and we still have a chance.

…

Liam ran ahead of Edward and I, heading straight for the soccer field. Emmet was already there, talking to a few of the kids and getting them riled up for their last game. Liam waved at the two of us before joining the team, and Edward and I silently made our way to the sidelines, holding hands until Edward needed both of his to set up our folding chairs.

While he did that, I glanced around for some of the women I usually talked to at the kids' soccer games. After scanning the small crowd, I noticed that most of the women- Lauren, Jessica, and Angela- were in a huddle near the concession stand, whispering back and forth and glancing over in our direction.

Rolling my eyes, I turned back to Edward and tugged on one of his belt loops. "I'm going to go get a soda. Do you want one?" I asked.

Edward turned and captured my hand in his again, smiling. "I'm good. Thanks." With a wink, he released my hand and I sauntered off, a smirk playing at my lips.

I loved this feeling of playfulness- it was one of things I had missed most about my romantic relationship with Edward.

"Hey." I smiled at Angela as I approached the concession stand. Lauren and Jessica had already made their escape, but Angela remained, probably knowing I'd come over. "Why do I have a feeling that little conversation had something to do with me?" I asked, and Angela threw back her head in laughter.

Out of all the other soccer moms, Angela was the friendliest and the one I was closest to. Her son, James, was one of Liam's best friends, and Angela husband Ben was in the army- he had been in Iraq for the past five months. Although my situation with Edward was much less extreme and dangerous, Angela and I kind of understood each other.

"Probably because it did." Angela admitted, lingering at my side as I bought a Dr. Pepper from the hassled looking woman behind the concessions counter. "Lauren and Jess were just going on and one about how they both think your husband is hot stuff," She explained, peeking over my shoulder and smiling as she playfully jostled my arm. "I have to say, Bella, I definitely agree with them."

I laughed, shaking my head at the absurdity of the situation. Lauren and Jessica were such wannabe Perez Hiltons...but they did have a point. Edward was one of the kind, both in the looks department and in the personality department. "Yeah, I do too." I admitted, glancing over at Edward as well. He saw Angela and I looking and waved, and then stuck his tongue out at me. I stuck my tongue out back at him, and then we both just laughed at our immaturity.

"So, last week you were saying he was going to be home more often. That must be nice." Angela commented, sounding sweet and sincere as always.

"It is," I agreed. I caught Edward's eye again and smiled at him- carefree and genuine. "It's wonderful."

…

**So this is a bit short, but I'm going to be gone over the weekend and really wanted to get it done. Please review and let me know what you think, and I'll hopefully update at the beginning of the week…I'm shooting for Monday, but I can never be for sure, as you should very well know by now. What can I say? I'm a pretty unpredictable lady at times.**

**I need to update "Eye of the Beholder" soon too, so that may set the update for this story back into the week too. I thought there would only be about five chapters, but that is no longer true. Edward's absence spanned longer than I originally planned for...so that makes a pretty big difference. So there _are _going to be more than just five more chapters after this- I just don't have a very good estimate right now. I'll letcha know! **

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	18. Chapter 18

**Guess what? Its date night! That's right, good old Edward and Bella are finally getting that much deserved alone time/ talking time…so there's a good chance this chapter will be mushy and emotional and maybe kind of heavy- that's your little warning. I'm not calling for an official tissue-warning, but you may want to keep a box close if you're feeling emotional.**

**The Forever Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Catastrophe by Forever the Sickest Kids**

**I Won't by Colbie Caillat **

**Be Good to Me by Uncle Kracker**

**Best I Ever Had by Gary Allan**

**Luckiest by Ben Folds**

**Mary by Kings of Leon**

**P.S. Another new Taylor Swift song was released before her album drops next week. It's called "Mean", and although it definitely isn't my favorite song by her, it's still got some depth to it and is kind of funny but still touching and meaningful. **

**Thanks Wendy- you're awesome!**

…

BPOV

I scrutinized myself in the mirror- turning this way and that way and overanalyzing everything. I hadn't been on a real, honest to God date in way too long…not since before Liam was born. Edward had told me in advance that I could dress down as much as I wanted, but I had decided to get all dressed up instead. The dress I chose to wear is figure flattering; it hugs the few curves I have and makes me feel pretty and feminine. The dark blue color also compliments my fair skin and my blush.

Unable to do much more than a ponytail and a simple braid, I carefully pulled my long hair up into an updo, hoping that the curls that escaped looked cute, and not like an accident (which they were).

By the time I get all of my makeup on, I can hear Rosalie and Edward and Liam talking downstairs, obviously waiting for me. Sure enough, Rosalie poked her head into the room only a minute later. "Hey, are you almost ready? Edward's ready to go when you are."

I bit my lip and turned around to face her, my nerves all crashing down on me. "I'll be just a second," I murmured quietly, and Rosalie immediately came to my side, taking my hand in hers.

"What's wrong, Bella? It's just Edward…he's your husband. I know things have been so difficult for the two of you, but once you give this a shot again I think you'll both realize everything that you've been missing. You've loved him since you were in high school, hon. Those kinds feelings don't just go away, you know." Rosalie's words soothed me slightly, but my nerves didn't totally dissipate.

"I know I still feel that way, Rose." I cleared my throat, trying to get my thoughts together. "The thing is…I've already gone through all of this with him. I've already put myself out there and loved him…and I'm afraid that we'll drift apart again. I'm afraid, because honestly, I can't go through that kind of thing ever again without losing my mind."

Rosalie's expression shifted to one of sympathy, and she gently kissed the top of my head. "Bella…there's not much I can tell you here. You're my big sister- I love you and I can't see why anyone else wouldn't love you. And this is _Edward _we're talking about. The two of you are meant for each other."

I calmed down just a little bit more, and Rosalie took a step back. "You look really beautiful, Bella," she remarked, and I blushed predictably. "Now come on, Edward is waiting for you."

With one last look in the mirror I stood and followed Rosalie downstairs, holding my high heels in one hand and my small clutch purse in the other. Edward and Liam were both waiting at the bottom of the stairs- matching crooked smiles on their faces.

As I stepped off the stairs, Edward swooped in and kissed my cheek, and then gently pressed a handful of pretty violet roses into my hand.

My blush reappeared as I accepted the flowers and whispered my thanks. As I turned to place them in a vase in the kitchen, Liam tugged on the hem of my dress, and I turned around to see that he also had some flowers for me. "You look pretty, Mommy," he said solemnly, making me laugh as I immediately leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Thank you- both of you." I winked at Edward as I quickly filled an appropriate vase with water and then placed the flowers in it, arranging them nicely before taking a step back. "They're beautiful."

"Just like you," Edward remarked, and he reached out for my hand. "Now, we should get going." He glanced at his watch as he spoke, grimacing slightly.

"Alright," I agreed, slipping on my shoes before kissing Rosalie and Liam both on the cheek. "Be good for Aunt Rose, you hear?" I tweaked Liam's nose and then Edward and I gave Rosalie some brief instructions for the night before finally leaving. "Your car or mine?" I stop as we walk into the garage, standing between our two cars.

"Mine." By the time he speaks, Edward has already unlocked his car door and is holding it open for me.

I can't help but giggle slightly at our formal behavior, but I get in the car nonetheless. Edward slid into the driver's seat seconds later, and we were both silent as he started the car and backed out of the driveway easily.

"Okay…so are you going to tell me the plan for tonight?"

Edward's lips curl up into a smile, but his eyes don't leave the road. "Well…I figured we wouldn't be able to get much talking done in a crowded restaurant, so I talked to your dad, and he said that this was okay."

Just then, Edward pulled the car up to my parent's house and parked. "Um…" I glanced over at Edward quizzically, not understanding at all. The house was all dark, so my parent's obviously weren't home, but that really didn't make it any less weird.

Edward rolled his eyes and got out of the car, opening my door for me again before I even had my seatbelt undone. "Thanks," I murmured as he offered me his hand. We walked up to the dark house together, but instead of walking up the front path, Edward veered off to the side and into the backyard.

I realized his plan then, looking up at the tree house where we had shared kisses and sweet words with each other, way back in the past. "Don't worry, I have dinner inside." Edward's voice broke through the silence, and I hugged both of my arms around myself.

"I'm not worried," I assured him quietly, a huge smile on my face. "This is really perfect."

It took us half an hour to get things situated, but once we finally did, everything was wonderful. We talked quietly about our day and about our son as we both ate our dinner and drank our wine, enjoying the soft candlelight and enjoying each other as well.

I feel like I'm eighteen again, and it feels wonderful to be so comfortable and at ease with him. Even though Edward and I haven't sorted out our issues yet, it's so easy and almost completely effortless to slip back into our old routine.

After we finished eating, our conversation lulled, and there was an obvious silence that neither of us was eager to fill.

"I don't even know where to start," I finally said, gnawing on my bottom lip and glancing up at Edward. The fine features of his face were illuminated by the soft light of the candle, making him look almost angelic.

"Neither do I, but I've got some ideas." Edward's face becomes much more serious, the playfulness from earlier gone. "When was the last time you felt like things were right between us? At what point did everything break apart?"

I continued to gnaw on my bottom lip, troubled because I have no idea how to totally answer his question. "I really don't know," I finally muttered, my brow furrowing. "This sounds awful, but things were definitely best between us before I got pregnant and before we got married. From then on, I felt kind of pressured…not really by you, but by our life in general." I tried to explain my feelings the best I could, but it still didn't sound right. "And I don't think things really just 'broke apart', either. I think it was a gradual process…neither of us were doing anything to fix our relationship, so it just kept getting worse."

"The worst part is, I think, that I knew things were getting worse and I never tried to stop them," Edward admitted, looking down at our joined hands. "I was kind of lazy about it, and I didn't want to address the problem."

The air hung heavy with silence again, and I felt like my heart was going to pound out of my chest. I know I still love Edward- it's just not the same kind of love. But the feelings are all still there, already starting to rekindle. And now, I just need to know if he feels the same way.

"Edward? Do you…do you still love me? At all?"

The minute the words leave my mouth, I want to take them back. Edward opened his mouth, but he didn't speak, no words escaping. And suddenly, for the first time since we've been back together, I feel unwanted.

…

**Yikes. Little cliffy, but I'm still promising an HEA. Really, it's just a misunderstanding that will be cleared up next chapter…which I promise will be…I'm shooting for about twice this length.**

**I apologize for another slightly short chapter, but this week is really not a good one for me. I'm hoping to update "Eye of the Beholder" and "We Have the Summer" both this weekend, but I really can't promise anything. My week has been highly unpredictable and my weekend could very well end up being the same way, honestly.**

**But please review, and be sure to let me know your thoughts on the chapter or just on the story in general. It means a lot!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	19. Chapter 19

**I know it might have seemed like ages while you were waiting for this chapter, but here it is! I'm typing this up on Sunday afternoon, so this won't be up until later- I hope everyone had a happy Halloween. Blakely was a penguin and it was the cutest thing ever. Taylor Swift CD came out last week, and I'm listening to it on repeat- I think my husband is ready to kill me now. **

**The Eternally Faithful Chapter Playlist featuring Miss Taylor Swift:**

**Ours by Taylor Swift**

**Last Kiss by Taylor Swift**

**Long Live by Taylor Swift**

**Superman by Taylor Swift**

**Dear Wendy, Thanks. Love, Mellie**

**And HEY! I put this A/N at the bottom too, but it's pretty important…this story is so close to having 600 reviews…I'm really hoping we can get 600 now. So as a little reward…the 600****th**** reviewer will get the next two chapters early (when the pre-reader gets them). So please review! This chapter may be a little short, but I think the ending will kind of make up for it…you're welcome ;)**

…

BPOV

Edward's slight hesitation terrified me instantly, and my first instinct was to just stop the conversation and try to act like it didn't happen. But before I could speak again, Edward spoke.

"Of course I still love you…" His words were low and sincere, and my heart instantly lifted slightly. "I…I still have very loving feelings for you, and even though somewhere along the way I realized I wasn't totally in love with you…I still love you, Bella. Forever. We just need to start over, get our relationship back on track," Edward said softly, and my breathing returned to normal.

"Oh. I'm sorry…I freaked out. But now that you explained that, I feel the same way. Before Liam was born when things started getting harder for us…I just didn't feel connected to you, and because of that I was really unmotivated to work things out with you. And now, I know what I'm missing. I know what it's like to be head over heels in love with you and I miss that so much…I miss _you_, and I miss being with you and loving you. Liam makes my life important and worth living, but you make me complete, too. You two are my reason for living. "

Edward smiled, leaning closer to me and softly kissing my cheek. "Bella…our relationship isn't perfect, and it probably never will be. But I do love you, and I do want to make this work. I want you to know that."

I nodded, lifting my chin so that he would kiss me. He did, his lips soft and persistent against mine. When we broke apart, I smiled and lifted my hand up to cup his cheek. "I do know that. Thank you." Edward leaned forward and kissed me again, and I could feel his smile against my own.

"We can do this," I said confidently, and Edward nodded in agreement. "I love you."

"I know. And I love you, too."

…

Rosalie was in the living room waiting for Edward and me when we got back home later that night.

"You go check in on Liam," I said to Edward, glancing at my sister. "I'll be right up."

"Alright." Edward kissed me on the cheek and said goodbye to Rosalie before disappearing up the stairs.

My sister grinned, stepping forward to give me a hug. "I'm guessing everything went well…I'm happy for you, sis."

"Everything went great, thanks. Rose…I've been so stupid. So has Edward. But we'll be okay now…thanks for your help." I hugged my younger sister and kissed her cheek, a big smile on my face. "Now that all of this drama with Edward and I is done, how are you doing?"

She shrugged, making a face. "It's okay. Still no baby, but we're trying to relax about it and just let it happen. When I do get pregnant, Bella, you'll be the first to know. You've been here for me, and I appreciate it so much. I love you, big sister."

"I love you, too," I whispered, hugging her again. "I don't mind helping you out, by the way. I don't like that you have problems but I still like trying to help you fix them, and that's never going to change. You're always here for me, and I'll always be here for you."

Rosalie grinned and squeezed my hand in hers, picking up her purse. "I better get going now. Emmet is probably waiting up for me." She blushed slightly at her last statement, and I laughed knowingly.

"Good luck, Rose," I said teasingly, ushering her out the front door and waving goodbye before locking the door and heading upstairs.

On my way to our room I peeked in Liam's door, glad to see that he was fast asleep and tucked in underneath his covers, safe and warm.

"There you are," Edward said as I walked into our bedroom.

"Here I am." I smiled, and then turned around and motioned to the back of my dress. "Can you undo my zipper for me?"

Edward paused for a moment, but then I felt his warm fingers pressing against my back, locating the zipper. He pulled down on it slowly and I felt the dress loosen as his hand and the zipper traveled down. I was holding my breath, and I had never realized that Edward helping me unzip my dress was such a turn-on.

"Thanks," I said when the dress was fully unzipped. I turned around to face Edward, my arms crossed over my chest so that my dress wouldn't fall down. But then Edward kissed me again, and all bets were off. I threw my arms around Edward's neck and I felt my dress slid down my body and pool around my feet. The cool air of our bedroom pierced my skin, but I didn't really care.

**(This part is where the story gets a little, um, you know, "mature"- if you don't want to read the stuff that gives this story a M rating, you might want to stop reading now and wait for the next chapter.)**

Edward's arms were warm and soothing as they wrapped around my body, pulling me as close as possible and kissing me even harder than before.

"Wait, wait." I pulled away, breathing loudly.

"What's wrong? Do you not want to-"

I shook my head, wiping at my lips as I walked away from Edward and locked the door to our bedroom. I turned around to face Edward again he was grinning with a loving, happy look in his eyes. "I don't want to stop," I whispered, walking towards Edward and putting my arms around his neck.

Suddenly we were kissing heatedly again, and then we were on the bed. "You're so soft," Edward muttered, his lips finding the sensitive skin of my neck and sucking gently.

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back onto my pillow, lost in pleasure. My eyes flew open when I felt Edward's hands slide down my bottom and past the elastic band of my underwear. "Is this okay?" Edward asked, pausing for a minute. I nodded quickly, bucking my hips up involuntarily. "Okay," Edward breathed, and continued his ministrations.

Without hesitating I started unbuttoning Edward's shirt, and when I fumbled with it, he took the hint and quickly took his shirt and pants off, throwing them to the ground.

His hand returned to my underwear and before long I was falling apart beneath him, shattering and coming back together again in the best way possible. "I want you," I suddenly said, yanking at Edward's boxers.

Before I knew it, they were on the floor, too, and we were kissing again, our tongues and body parts tangling together, getting as close as possible. "I love you, Bella," Edward said seriously, and tears of happiness flooded my eyes when I heard him say those words to me again.

"I love you, too."

Edward kissed me full on the lips again, and then he slid my underwear down my legs, his movements slow and soft. I watched him lazily, a smile on my face as I rested beneath him.

"Do you want me to wear a condom?" Edward suddenly asked, and I hesitated for a split second before answering.

"I don't think we have any. Do you?" I knew we didn't have any condoms- it had been years since we'd had sex…why would I stock up on condoms?

"Oh. Um, no…I don't." I could hear the regret and disappointment in his voice, and I wanted to make it go away. I wanted this; I wanted him.

"No, you don't have to wear one. It's okay…I'm still on the pill. It'll be okay," I promised, and that seemed to reassure Edward.

My breath caught in my throat as Edward's fingers gently slid into me, and I moaned softly. "Oh…" my eyes closed again, and Edward's breathing became shallow. After a few more minutes, I felt like I was going to lose it again, and then Edward kissed my temple gently.

"Bella, are you ready?" He asked softly, and I opened my eyes. He was looking at me with so much love and so much kindness, and it made my heart expand wonderfully.

"Yes," I whispered softly, and I didn't even try to stop the moan that escaped me when Edward slid inside of me, stretching me deliciously. "Oh my god," I said through my teeth. It had been years…I had almost forgotten how good sex really felt until this moment.

I knew that it had been years for both of us, so I wasn't surprised when Edward came long before I did, his body betraying. He apologized quietly after managing to catch his breath, and he helped me finish with his fingers.

"I love you, Bella," Edward repeated, kissing the tip of my nose as I came down from my orgasm.

"I love you, too," I promised, hugging him tightly. "Forever."

…

**So there it is. Problems are being resolved, and the HEA is slowly but surely falling into place and lemons are making their way into the story. There are definitely going to be several more chapters followed by an epilogue and future-shot, and I really want to have this done by 2011. **

**There are already some new story ideas in my head that I want to start after I finish up the stories I already have out…so in the future, be on the lookout for those. One of them is a pretty sad one shot that I've already kind of started working on, so it shouldn't be too long until that one is finished. **

**I put this A/N at the top too, but it's pretty important…this story is so close to having 600 reviews…I'm really hoping we can get 600 now. So as a little reward…the 600****th**** reviewer will get the next two chapters early (when the pre-reader gets them). So please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	20. Chapter 20

**It's been a wonderfully busy week…however; Blakely had yet another little ear infection so that was kind of a downer. But she's all good now. Jensen, baby, and our man-child brigade are currently watching Toy Story 3- it's my ideal Saturday night.**

**And here is...The Perpetually Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Secrets by One Republic**

**Firework by Katy Perry**

**Beautiful Day by Lee DeWyze **

**Need You Now by Lady Antebellum**

**Pages of Life by Tyler Ward**

**My goodness, Wendy, I cannot thank you enough.**

**Princesssparkle01 had the 600****th**** review…so she received this chapter a little before everybody else. Thanks for reviewing, all of you! I can't even describe how wonderful all of you have been throughout this whole process. I started this story not really knowing where I would be able to take it, but all of you have been amazing and supportive and I will always be grateful!**

…

BPOV

I stretched my arms over my head lazily, the early morning sunshine warming my exposed skin as it flooded in through our bedroom window. I kept my eyes closed, breathing deeply and focusing on what I was feeling- Edward's warm body wrapped around mine, making me feel warm and safe and loved.

"Good morning." Edward's soft voice suddenly met my ears, and his even softer lips met the back of my head.

I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face- a full on Cheshire cat grin. "Morning," I answered softly, my voice groggy with sleep. "Mmm…" I turned around so that I was facing Edward and snuggled into his chest, relishing the warmth and comfort.

"C'mere…" Edward tried to kiss me but I swatted his face away, smiling.

"No kissing until I brush my teeth," I scolded him, hugging him quickly before untangling myself from him and from the sheets and climbing out of bed.

Edward watched me put his dress shirt from last night on to cover my nakedness with a big, uninhibited grin on his face. "Hurry back," he called, sitting up slightly as I made my way into the bathroom.

Even though Edward and I had reached a further level of intimacy, I still closed the door the bathroom, wanting to me alone. I looked in the mirror, foolishly thinking that I would look different…

It was just like in high school, when I had expected to feel so much…older, different, and _mature _after losing my virginity. And just like high school, there was really no difference. I could feel the ache in my body, but that was the only physical difference present. Emotionally…I felt completely different. For years, both Edward and I had refused to see what was right in front of us…we really still loved each other, but hadn't even tried to work things out.

I sighed, shaking my head and looking away from my reflection in the mirror and reaching for my toothbrush. It would be pointless for me to look towards the past. Now, it had to be all about the present and the future.

I was only halfway through brushing my teeth before there was a quiet knock at the door. I pulled it open, not at all surprised to find Edward leaning against the doorframe, wearing his flannel sleep pants and a big smirk on his face.

"Do you mind if I brush my teeth?" He asked, and I shook my head, my mouth full of toothpaste.

We were both silence, but I watched in through the mirror, loving his little mannerisms and loving him. The corner of his eyes crinkled when he saw me watching him, but instead of saying anything he leaned over and kissed me on the lips, toothpaste and all.

…

"Did you have fun with Aunt Rose last night, Liam?" Edward asked, taking a big sip of his coffee and leaning back in his chair.

Liam nodded vehemently, his mouth full of the blueberry pancakes that he and Edward had helped me make for breakfast. "We watched Toy Story 3," he said, swallowing his mouthful of food and wiping at his messy face with the napkin I handed him. "She cried."

I laughed, because that honestly sounded nothing like my little sister, the self-proclaimed hardass. But really, we all knew Rosalie was a softy at heart. "That movie is kind of sad," I said with a shrug. "And not everyone can be as brave as you are, little man."

Liam contemplated for a moment before nodding proudly, making Edward and I laugh.

"What do you want to do today, champ?" Edward asked, putting the newspaper he had been reading down and focusing on Liam.

He shrugged, licking his fork after he finished off the pancake on his plate. "Can we go to Grandma Renée and Grandpa Charlie's?" He asked hopefully, and I instantly felt guilty.

I hadn't really _talked _to my mother since blurting out that Edward and I had been having problems since Liam was born. I wasn't used to that…in the past, my mom had been my confidant, my saving grace whenever I needed her. When Edward had first been gone and I had been so alone and angry, she had been there for me, without question or hesitation.

"Yeah, we can," I said quickly, standing up and reaching for the phone that hung on the wall. "I'll call right now and ask if we can come over for lunch."

Edward raised his eyebrows at me questionably, but I just shook my head, dialing my parent's familiar phone number.

I heard the sound of Liam and Edward clearing the breakfast dishes as I waited for my mom or dad to pick up the phone, and I ruffled Liam's curly hair as he passed me, his arms laden with dishes.

Edward snuck in a quick kiss as he passed, and I swatted him on the butt.

"Hello?" My mom finally answered the phone and I inhaled sharply, feeling like the worst daughter ever.

"Hey, Mom…its Bella," I said lamely, twisting a stray lock of my hair around my finger. Liam and Edward walked back into the room, but disappeared into the kitchen again with the last batch of dishes. "Liam and Edward and I were talking…are you and Dad free for lunch?"

"Of course, dear." My mom sounded totally normal, so I hoped she wasn't disappointed in me or mad. "What time sounds good?"

"Oh…um, whenever. Noon?"

I heard her say something to someone, probably my dad, and then she said that sounded good. "Rosalie and Emmet, too? And Jasper and Alice?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure. That sounds good…but can I come over a little earlier? I would really like to talk to you about some stuff," I explained.

"Bella, yes, of course you can. You know I'm always here for you," she said gently. "I just wish you would take advantage of that more often. I want you to talk to me…just because you're grown up and have a baby of your own doesn't mean you're not still _my _baby."

"I know," I said quietly, not wanting to cry. "I'll be there around eleven thirty, okay?"

"Sounds good," my mom agreed, and then she sighed again. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too," I assured her. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

After I hung up, Edward walked back into the room, pulling me into a hug. "Your Mom won't hate you for not confiding in her." He was gentle and soft, rubbing my back sweetly. "I know you feel guilty, but you really don't have to…you didn't want her to be worried."

"Yeah." I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder and closing my eyes. "I'm going over there at eleven thirty…you and Liam should come over at noon for lunch. Rose and Emmet and Jasper and Alice will be there, too."

"Okay." Edward kissed the top of my head before releasing me. "One last thing," he said, catching my hand before I turned away. "Bella, I'm really glad that you are giving me…giving _us_…another chance. It means a lot. I haven't been the best husband…but I'm going to change that," he promised.

"You don't have to change…" I said softly, reaching up and stroking his rough, stubble covered cheek. I just want you to be…you. The Edward I fell in love with."

"I think I can manage that." Edward kissed me fully on the lips, and he didn't stop until the sound of little footsteps met our ears.

"Gross."

Edward and I separated to find Liam standing in the doorway, his hands on his hips.

"It's not gross, bud," Edward moved his face away from mine but didn't stop holding me. "I love your mom…that's all this is. We're grownups," he reminded Liam. "Now…we're having lunch with Grandma Renée and Grandpa Charlie and your Aunts and Uncles in a couple of hours. Do you want to watch cartoons until then?"

"Um, yeah, dad." Liam rolled his eyes playfully, his happy little personality shining on through. "Duh."

"How silly of me…" Edward winked at me, holding Liam's hand and letting him practically drag him into the living room to watch television.

I left the two of them alone to have their "guy time" and headed upstairs, stripping the sheets off our bed. We would have to start getting condoms…I wasn't exactly fond of the mess that going bare came with. I shoved the sheets in the washing machine and then grabbed the extra set from our linen closet, making the bed again. By the time I got all that done and cleaned up around the rest of the house, it was already ten thirty and I needed to get ready.

I let the hot water from the shower pelt my skin, closing my eyes as it ran down my body. I felt so…so complete. Here I was, with a beautiful, healthy family, with no real troubles to speak of. My husband made good money doing something he loved, my son was growing every day and was sharp as a tack and sweet, and the few problems I had were being resolved slowly but surely.

…

I let myself into my parent's house, the smell of lasagna meeting my nose as I walked in through the entry way. "Mom?" I called, toeing off my shoes and leaving them by the door. I shed my coat as well, draping it across the banister as I walked further into the house.

"In here, Bella!"

Following my mom's voice, I walked into the kitchen. My dad sat at the table, reading the newspaper as he chopped carrots, and my Mom stood at the stove, examining the lasagna I assumed she had just gotten out of the oven.

"Smells delicious," I said, kissing each of them on the cheek. "Mom, do you have a sec? I just…I just have some stuff I want to tell you."

My mom nodded calmly, wiping her hands on her faded apron. "Sure. Charlie, keep chopping those carrots for the salad and then move on to the tomatoes. My dad grunted in agreement, and I let my mom lead me out of the kitchen and into the living room.

We sat down on the couch, and she spoke before I had the chance. "I know I overreacted a bit when you told me about your, um, marital issues," she said quickly, placing her hand on my knee and squeezing gently. "I know you didn't want to worry me, or maybe you just didn't want to admit what was going on…but that was your choice. Honey, I love talking to you. You're always going to be my girl…I want to help. And I want to you know I'll never judge you harshly…even when you're wrong, I'll be on your side because this is _your _life."

"I know," I sighed. "Mom…I really didn't want to disappoint you. Edward and I had just gotten out of high school, though. When you have a boyfriend and go to college...I don't know, I just expected us to grow up and grow apart and eventually break up. But I got pregnant instead and even though we loved each other, both of us felt so trapped. We got married to make you and Dad and Esme and Carlisle happy, and everything just spiraled out of control from there."

My mom nodded, pulling me into a hug. "I understand. But…what about now? Are you still having problems, or-"

I cut her off, shaking my head. "We're fixing things, Mom. It's not perfect, but we're getting there."

…**.**

**Please review, let me know what's on your mind =)**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	21. Chapter 21

**Updating again! Like I've said previously, I'm kind of working on wrapping this story up. It'll be done by the New Year…but I have no real time frame other than that. Unless something big changes, that'll be it. At the moment, I am **_**not **_**planning on a sequel. I just want to end it where it falls, if you catch my drift.**

**The Everlastingly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Another Sunny Day by Belle and Sebastian**

**Thunder by Boys Like Girls**

**I Love How You Love Me- The Like Young **

**The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls**

**As always, big shout out to Wendy for pre-reading this for me. Thanks a million billion trillion times!**

**Princesssparkle01 got this chapter early again…thanks to all of you for reviewing…I'm hoping that we'll get closer to 700 reviews for this chapter. The lemon in that chapter before last is probably about descriptive as they will get. As always, I think sex is a more personal, intimate thing that doesn't need to be heavily detailed, but also doesn't need to be fade-to-black. **

…

BPOV

There was a noticeable change in Rosalie's behavior. Instead of the subdued behavior she had been exhibiting lately, she walked into our parent's house with Emmet's arm around her shoulders and big smile on her face. I knew there had to be something going on, but decided not to pry. If Rosalie wanted to tell me something, she would. Simple as that.

So I wasn't all that surprised when Rosalie pulled me aside right before lunch, the cheesy smile still plastered across her face.

"Have some news to tell me?" I guessed, and her smile just grew even larger.

"I took a home test this morning…" She squeezed her eyes shut, clutching my hand in hers. "I can't even describe how excited I am, Bella. I know I'm young but I am so ready to be a parent! Emmet and I are both so excited, and I have a doctor appointment scheduled for tomorrow afternoon."

"That's great, Rose," I said earnestly, giving her a big hug. "I told you it would happen!"

Edward appeared behind Rosalie then, holding his hand out to me. "What did you tell her would happen?" He asked as I took his head. "Your mom says lunch is ready," he added.

"Nothing you need to worry about right now, buckaroo." Rosalie winked coyly, patting Edward on the shoulder as she left the living room and headed towards the dining room to join the rest of our family for lunch.

"It's no big deal," I assured him, pecking him on the lips. "Now come on…I'm starved." I kept on tight grip on his hand as we walked into the dining room, taking our seats around the table. Rosalie was on my left and Edward was on my right, and I grinned when I felt Edward rest his hand on my upper thigh.

Yet again, I felt like a teenager. This- the secret touches and subtle glances- was so reminiscent of our past relationship.

That made me a little scared, because honestly, our past relationship wasn't one to build a good marriage off of. If Edward and I were going to make this work, things really were going to have to be different and serious efforts would have to be made.

The conversation flowed casually between all of us- my parents fawned over Alice and her ever-expanding belly, while Jasper smiled proudly as his pregnant wife told us about the doctor's appointment she had just had a few days ago.

They asked Edward about his next assignment, and were pleased when he said it would take place in a small town just a few miles away so he wouldn't have to leave Liam and me.

And then Liam was the center of attention, fawned on by his grandparents and aunts and uncles. He loved the attention- obviously he had been spoiled as the only grandchild/nephew of the family.

I loved the way our family worked together so wonderfully. Things obviously weren't always perfect, but it was still so amazing when we all got to spend time with each other like this. The same went for how I felt when I was with Edward...even though it couldn't always be perfect; it was still one of the most beautiful things I had ever experienced.

…

"Thanksgiving is coming up," I said softly, playing with the ends of Edward's unruly hair as he, Liam, and I watched television later that night. "Do you know if you'll be home?"

Edward nodded, not looking away from the television. "I'll be here," he promised. "I don't have anything scheduled for then, but then I have a two day assignment right afterwards. "I have to be in Bozeman, Montana, on Saturday night and then I'll be back at home early in the morning on Wednesday."

"You're leaving again?" Liam suddenly interrupted our conversation, his focus shifting away from the television and towards our conversation instead. "Why?" He asked in a small voice, his eyes sad and wide.

"It's only for two days, Liam," Edward said soothingly, kissing the top of Liam's head. "I have to do my job…but I'll be back really quick." Liam perked up a bit, but still looked devastatingly sad. "And it won't be until after Thanksgiving," Edward added. "I'll be here for that…this time."

I remained quiet, realizing that in the years that we had been married, Edward and I had only spent _one _Thanksgiving together. All the other years, he had been working or stuck at an airport and we had been apart.

After so many years of getting used to that crazy schedule, I was just now realizing how awful it had really been. At the time, I hadn't cared all that much. I had missed Edward, and felt awful for Liam, but it hadn't been the same…

All the missed Holidays, family events, and special moments started to add up in my head, and even though I didn't want to hold a grudge against Edward, it would have been so easy too…there was so much that he hadn't been a part of and that just wasn't right for any of us.

"You said you'll have to finish up some other big assignments," I reminded Edward, not caring that Liam was listening in on our conversation. "What assignments? And how long will they take?"

Edward hesitated for a moment, capturing his bottom lip between his teeth. "Um, well, like I told you, I've got the New York City one and the one in Paris…those are the big ones. But Bella, you know that if Alec really needs me for something, I've got to go, right? It's my job. I don't _want _to be away…but sometimes I won't be able to avoid it."

I didn't know why I was doing it, but I didn't care. I was worked up and agitated and I started to pick a fight. "So even though you're supposed to be working close to home from now on, you still might have to go to Africa on a moment's notice? That's how it used to be, and I thought this was supposed to change. You said things would change, Edward-"

"Whoa, Bella, what's going on with you, honey?" Edward asked, sitting up and turning his body to face me. "Why are you freaking out about this all of a sudden?"

"I don't want to talk about this in front of Liam, Edward," I said coolly, trying to calm down a little. I didn't want to take out my frustrations on Edward, he didn't deserve it…I needed to cool off. If Edward kept trying to make me talk, I would just freak out and I didn't want that.

"Um, okay?" Edward turned away from me, a confused look on his face.

I felt guilty instantly, but I continued to try and calm down. I had to remind myself that I was supposed to be trying to fix my marriage- not make it worse.

But this was harder than I expected. Being with Edward- just being with him and loving him was wonderful. But I had to remember that all our times would not be happy. There would be fights and struggles and problems, and there was nothing I could really do to stop them.

…

**Yawn. I'm exhausted…sending this chapter in to Wendy and then catching some sleep…I get to work ten hours straight tomorrow!**

**As always, please be sure to leave a review. One word or one paragraph, it always means a lot to me. I'm normally really really bad about replying to reviews, but for this chapter I'll reply to every single one with a teaser from chapter 22! So press that little green button down there and make me happy, please ;)**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks so much for all the reviews that you guys left. It was an overwhelming amount, in my opinion! I think I sent all the reviewers the teaser for this chapter, but I'm sorry if I somehow missed you! Some people had PM's disabled and others didn't sign in to leave a review, so I apologize that I couldn't send a teaser to those people either. However, I still want to thank of all you. It's freaking awesome!**

**The Undyingly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Powerful Stuff by Sean Hayes**

**Hero/Heroine by Boys Like Girls**

**Teenage Dream by Katy Perry OR the cover done on Glee**

**Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World**

**Ahhh Wendy. Thanks for pre-reading!**

**Princesssparkle01 got this chapter early, even though I forgot to send it to her early last time…oops. There are **_**680**_** reviews for this story now! Keep it up, please! My goal is to reach 800+ by the end of the story =)**

…

EPOV

I kissed the top of Liam's head, tucking him into bed as I did so. "Sleep tight, Liam," I murmured.

"Night, Daddy," Liam replied, peeking his eyes open. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

My heart constricted a little bit at his words, wishing I could take away all his doubts about me. But it was my own fault. From now on, it was my job to show him that I was always going to be there for him. "Of course I will be," I assured him, tousling his curly hair and sitting down on the edge of his bed. "Liam, I'm going to be around much more often now, I promise. I know I haven't been around a lot for you or your mom, but that's going to change. I love you, little man."

"I love you, too," Liam said sweetly. "Goodnight."

I kissed his forehead one last time and then stood up and walked out of the room, turning off the lights. "Sweet dreams."

When I got into our bedroom, Bella was sitting there on the edge of our bed, playing with the hem of the oversized tee shirt she was wearing. "Hey," she said softly, looking up at me through her thick eyelashes. "I…I think we should have a little talk. I'm sorry for freaking out on you earlier, especially in front of Liam."

"Yeah…what was that all about?" I asked, sitting down next to Bella and hesitantly putting my arm around her shoulders. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Bella shook her head quickly, putting her head on my shoulder and taking a deep breath. "It's just me, Edward. I just keep thinking about how much harder it would be if things between us got bad again somehow. I shouldn't have picked a fight, I know that, but this kind of stuff still worries me," she explained, and I had to understand.

"I know, Bella. I know things have been tough…but I'm not going to let that happen again, and I know you won't, either." I bit my lip, kissing her temple and brushing some of her long hair out of her face. "I love you."

She smiled, looking up at me and cupping my cheek with her had. "I know. And I love you, too. I'm just a little emotional and I was over thinking things. As long as we keep working things out and keep talking, we'll be fine," Bella said with a little smile on her face. She tilted her face upwards and I instantly leaned down to kiss her, my lips gently brushing over hers. "Mmm." Bella pulled away after a moment, her brown eyes dreamy as she looked up at me again. "Come here," she whispered, and suddenly she was straddling my lap, her hands on either side of my face as she kissed me again.

I kissed her back, moaning into her mouth. I scooted backwards on the bed, keeping Bella on top of me. My hands found their way too her soft, silky thighs and I squeezed gently until she parted them slightly. I slipped my fingers into her underwear and Bella groaned loudly, her breathing picking up rapidly.

We stopped kissing and I slipped two of my fingers inside of her, pumping in an out with a steady rhythm. Bella moaned again, even more loudly this time, and after a few minutes I felt her clench all around my fingers as she stuttered out nonsense words.

She leaned down to kiss me again, her breathing still harsh and heavy. Bella's hand traveled down to the waistband of my pants, and I lifted my hips eagerly as she started to shimmy my flannel sleep pants down. Just as she was about to pull down my boxers, the door to our bedroom swung open suddenly.

Bella yelped in surprise, and Liam was suddenly in bed with us, a confused look on his face. "What are you _doing_?" He asked, his voice a little groggy.

"Um…" Bella quickly got off of me, holding her tee shirt down as I pulled my pants up. "We were just playing," she said lamely, her cheeks bright red. "You…um, you should have knocked, Liam."

"I've never had to knock before," Liam pointed out, ignoring us and getting under the covers of our bed. "I couldn't sleep; I needed to come in here."

"I just tucked you in ten minutes ago," I said sternly. "And from now on, you should probably try and remember to knock before you open a closed door, okay?" I glanced over at Bella, whose cheeks were still red. "Or your mom and I could remember to lock the door…" I added under my breath, and Bella actually cracked a little smile.

Liam shrugged, pulling the covers up to his chin. "Can I stay in here?"

I glanced over at Bella longingly- her long hair hung over her shoulders and her breathing was still heavy and she looked absolutely beautiful…but Liam had to come first. "Yeah, you can," I sighed, getting under the covers as well, actually a little thankful that my hard-on had disappeared almost immediately after Liam had burst into the room. "But you can't make a habit out of this, alright. You're a big kid…almost six…you'll have to sleep in your own bed."

"Okay," Liam said simply, and Bella reached over and turned off the lamp before getting under the covers on the other side of Liam. "Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight," Bella and I both replied, and soon Liam was asleep, his face pressed against my chest and his arms around me. Bella was asleep soon as well, and I fell asleep to the sound of their even breathing.

BPOV, One Week Later:

"Oh for God's sake, I'm not pregnant, Rosalie," I said with a sigh, rolling my eyes at my sister and her ridiculous reasoning. We had met up for coffee before lunch so that we could celebrate the fact that Rosalie's doctor had confirmed that she was, indeed, pregnant. However, after our initial excitement, Rosalie was all too eager to change the subject to something about, of course, _my _life.

"Why not?" Rosalie asked, arching her eyebrows at me suggestively. "You've been really emotional and tired all week, don't even try and deny it. Plus, you and Edward are having sex again…and that, big sister, is how babies are made."

"I'm aware of that, smartass." I took a sip of my hot chocolate, and Rosalie stuck her tongue out at me. "First of all, it would be way too early to tell if I was actually pregnant. Secondly…I'm on the pill, and I take it religiously."

Rosalie looked up at me from her decaf coffee, a devious smile on her pretty face. "And weren't you on the pill when little Liam was conceived, too? Face it, Bella. The pill definitely isn't 100 percent effective…in nine months, you could have another baby. I know you're still a little freaked out about your relationship with Edward, but it'll all be okay. You'll see."

I rolled my eyes again, shaking my head. "Shut up, Rosalie. I am _not _pregnant." But I couldn't help myself…I started counting the days in my head. We hadn't used condoms at all since we've been having sex again, but I _have _been really careful with my birth control pills, as always. According to my count, I should be getting my period next week.

"Deny it all you want…and if you aren't pregnant now, you know it'll happen eventually. You and Edward have only been back on track for like three weeks and you're already all over each other again. It's like high school all over again for you two." Rosalie laughed, and I just made a face.

It was true…Liam was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to me, and now that things were getting better between us, I would like to have another baby with Edward. My first pregnancy had not been very stressful, so I hadn't gotten to focus very much on the _happy _part of it before my marriage started to fall apart.

…

**And there we have it. I'm going to update "Such Difference" next, but then I'll be updating this story again sometime during the week.**

**Oh, and did anyone happen to have the chance to check out the pictures of Bella/Edward filming in the water at "Isle Esme"? Mmm…shirtless Robert, wearing black boxer briefs and red swim trunks. And Kristen Stewart, looking beautiful as always in an itty bitty white bikini. Yay!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	23. Chapter 23

**Haha…the kid interrupting the parents is timeless. It's pretty much a rite of passage…it'll probably happen to every parent or **_**almost **_**happen to every parent. Kids are nosy sometimes and sometimes they just want your attention- can't really blame them there, of course.**

**I'm a little emotional at the moment. I gave Blakely her first "hair-cut" (it was really just a trim) and after I put her to bed I found a few scraps of her hair on near the trash can and I lost it. My husband came in and thought I was losing my mind…and then I told him and he got a little teary-eyed, too. She's six months old already, and we can't believe it! Time flies when you're getting no sleep, I guess.**

**The Ceaselessly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Vienna by Billy Joel**

**Tiny Vessels by Death Cab for Cutie**

**Cute by Stephen Jerzak**

**Hold On by **_**Michael Bublé**_

**Wendy, Wendy, Wendy. I think we all know what I'm about to say…thanks, lady =)**

**Princesssparkle01 got this chapter early once more! Hope you all enjoy it!**

…

BPOV, Five Days Later:

"Is there anything else you need me to bring for Thanksgiving dinner?" I asked, cradling the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I slid the stuffing back into the oven to cook for several more minutes. "More plates? Napkins? Anything?"

"No, I think I'm good," my mom answered. "I just sent your father out to the store to get extra napkins, and I've got plenty of plates here. I've also got the turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes under control. Your sister is bringing the rolls, and Alice is making that yummy casserole she made last year. That sounds like everything, doesn't it?"

I completed the mental check list in my mind, nodding. "Yep. I think you're all set, Mom. I honestly don't know how you manage this every year, either. I'm feeling frazzled and all I'm in charge of is the stuffing."

"Handling Thanksgiving dinner is definitely an acquired skill," she said with a laugh. "But when your time comes to do it, you'll take it all under your belt and it'll be fine. What time are you coming over tomorrow, by the way?"

I sighed, brushing my hair out of the way. "Probably around noon. Edward has to take pictures for the Weber's because their Thanksgiving is also a family reunion, but they agreed to have pictures done first so that he'll be free for _our _dinner. He's supposed to get done at noon so we'll hurry over right when he gets home."

"Or you could come separately." I could hear the hope in my mom's voice- she loved having Liam around to spoil and kiss. "You and Liam could help me set everything up. And Liam and your dad could get an early start setting the Christmas tree up, too."

"Alright," I agreed, peeking in at the stuffing again. "We can do that. What time do you want me to come over instead?"

"Nine?" She offered, and I made a face she couldn't see.

"Yeah, okay. Nine o'clock." I glanced out the kitchen window and I sighed when I saw Liam and Edward in the backyard, both covered in dirt as they ran around. "I've gotta go, mom…Edward and Liam have decided to play mud soccer."

She laughed, and I knew she was glad Jasper had been into swimming instead of football or soccer. "Have fun cleaning that up, baby. I'll see you tomorrow."

We said our goodbyes and I poked my head out of the backyard to yell and Liam and Edward. "Stay out of the mud!" I shouted, stomping my foot playfully. "You two aren't coming inside like that, so I hope you enjoy hosing off in the cold!"

With that I closed the backdoor and left them to their own devices.

…

"Ugh. I don't wanna go," Edward mumbled, pressing his soft lips against the sensitive skin of my neck. It was early on the morning of Thanksgiving, and he had to start getting ready for his job. "Can't I call in sick?"

"No," I said lazily, not opening my eyes as he continued to kiss my neck. "You have to go…I'll see you at my parent's house afterwards, you big baby."

Edward sighed, rolling away from me. I still didn't open my eyes, but I felt the mattress moved as he got out of bed. "I'm going to grab a quick breakfast and then go," he whispered, his voice suddenly in my ear again. "I'll you see you later…love you."

"Love you, too." I peeked my eyes open for a moment, tilting my head up off my pillow to give Edward a quick kiss on the lips. "Be good."

"Always, baby." He kissed me one more time and then quietly got dressed and went downstairs, closing the door to our bedroom behind him.

I stayed in bed, lying there with my eyes closed but not asleep for at least another hour, before I heard the door slowly open again. A quick glance at my alarm clock told me it was only 8:15 in the morning, and Liam was already crawling into bed with me.

"Baby, you've really got to start staying in your own bed," I said quietly as Liam snuggled up to my side. "I love you, but…you're not a baby anymore. I also love cuddling with you, but maybe not _this _early in the morning, okay?" I quickly kissed the top of my son's nose, looking down at him.

"Where's daddy?" He asked suddenly, his voice timid.

I sighed, running my fingers through Liam's messy, curly hair. "He's just at work, baby. He'll meet us for Thanksgiving though, okay? And he and Uncle Emmet and Uncle Jasper will play football with you. Maybe you can even convince Papa and Grandpa Charlie, too."

"Okay." Liam fell silent, continuing to snuggle up against me. "When is Daddy going to leave again?" he asked me suddenly asked, and I sighed loudly.

"After the weekend," I told him honestly. "But only for a little while, okay? Your dad really is going to be home a lot more often. He'll be here for your birthday and the holidays and…he's going to be around. I promise." I hated the way Liam had to be feeling about this whole situation. How could Edward and I have been so selfish?

While we had been trying to get away from each other, our son had started to suffer some of the consequences. He missed his father, and he was starting to become insecure because of Edward's absence. I saw it happening right before my eyes. Emmet had been a substitute for awhile, but nothing could really take the place of Edward for Liam.

…

Rosalie and Emmet showed up at my parent's house about an hour early, toting a big container of rolls and smiling hugely. I knew that Rosalie and Emmet were finally going to tell the rest of our family that Rosalie was pregnant…and I also knew Rosalie was going to bother _me_ about being pregnant, too. Even though I wasn't. Well, even though _I _probably wasn't.

It seemed impossible to me that I could be pregnant…but only time will tell. I refuse to buy a pregnancy test, because that would just make me get my hopes up or down and then either way I would get worked up and disappointed. Not to mention Edward's reaction if he saw a pregnancy test, positive or negative, in the trash.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Rose." I kissed my sister on the cheek and she replied back before quickly hurrying into the kitchen to help our mom.

Emmet kissed me on the cheek as well, smiling at me. "Hey, Bells. Happy Thanksgiving," he said.

"You, too," I replied, patting him on the shoulder. "You guys are early…so unlike you!"

Emmet laughed, shaking his head at me. "Well, your mom told Rosie that you would be coming over early, so…wait a second." He glanced around, a frown suddenly on his face. "Where the hell is Edward? Why isn't he here?"

…

**So this is kind of short chapter. But in the next chapter, the shit kind of hits the fan. Um, Emmet gets a little worked up. And then it just gets worse from there, so…we'll see how that works out. That chapter will probably be up sometime soon.**

**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	24. Chapter 24

**Okay. So, I'm not going to lie, this is when the story starts to get a little more angst in it. It's not ****necessarily between Edward and Bella, but there is still a little difficulty going on between them. But ****don't fret, because as always, these problems will be resolved and the story will end with a HEA for ****Edward and Bella and Liam and the rest of the gang.**

**Stick with me, and it'll all be fine and dandy.**

**The Interminably Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Paper Heart by Tyler Ward**  
**Stole My Heart by Annie Little**  
**When the Day Met the Night by Panic at the Disco**  
**Book of Love by Peter Gabriel**

**Dear Wendy, Thanks again. Love, Mellie**

…

BPOV

My cheeks instantly flushed bright red, and I shook my head. "Emmet, please, stop. Edward…Edward will be here soon. He just had to work…"

"Bull crap, Bella! You were the one telling me how he needed to be with his family…and now it's Thanksgiving and he's not here and you're acting like it's no big deal at all!" Emmet paused, scratching the back of his neck as he took deep breaths. "Since he's been back, you've been so happy…I don't want that to change. I don't want him to stop being around suddenly and have to see you and Liam so upset again-"

"God, Emmet, please just stay out of it!" I exclaimed, rubbing my forehead with the palm of my hand. "I know I've relied on you in the past…probably too much…but its different now. We're not pretending anymore."

Emmet stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tense. "I've been taking care of you for five years, because I see you as my sister. Can't you see how I feel? He can't just come running back like everything has been just fine and dandy all this time, like you hadn't been so depressed some days you wouldn't get out of bed-"

"Emmet." I turned my head to see Rosalie standing in the doorway, the expression on her face unreadable. "Emmet, honey, stop," she whispered. "It's Thanksgiving you shouldn't be doing this, especially now. Come on…let's go tell my parents our news."

She held her hand out to him, and I shot her a grateful glance. Emmet stalked past me, the expression on his face unrelenting.

I stood still, not moving even after they left the room.

I didn't want to think about that time…I had never even told Edward about what had gone on shortly after he had left for the first time, back when Liam was just a little baby. I didn't even want to think about it myself. But when the post-partum depression was at its worst, Emmet had been there for me…making me feel like it would all be okay.

Eventually things had started looking up, and by the time Edward had come back home, the little bouts of depression were easy to hide, and then they disappeared all together.

No one knew about this time in my life with the exception of Rosalie and Emmet…and I had wanted to keep it that way. But now, things were so different. Edward and I…we were so different now. He had the right to know, but how would he feel about me hiding this from him for five years? I knew he would be upset…and I didn't know if it would change things between us. I hoped not- I have never been happier.

Suddenly I heard a happy shriek come from the kitchen- Rosalie and Emmet had obviously just told my mom and dad about Rosalie's pregnancy. Taking a deep breath and trying to calm myself down, I headed into the kitchen as well, pausing in the doorway.

My mom was taking excitedly, her arms around both Emmet and Rosalie, while my Dad and Liam stood off tothe side. Dad was smiling and looked proud, but Liam was just shuffling his feet, obviously bored and ready for Thanksgiving lunch.

"Bella, did you hear?" My mom suddenly asked, spotting me in the doorway.

"Yeah, I did." My smile was no longer forced as I saw how happy my sister and brother in law looked. "Congratulations, guys. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks." Rosalie wriggled out of our mom's grasp and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry about Emmet. He's just worried about you," she whispered, and I just nodded my head.

"It's fine. I just…I really don't want to talk about it," I whispered back, and then promptly dropped the subject. "Congratulations again."

Alice and Jasper arrived shortly afterwards; Jasper had his hand on Alice's ever-growing stomach while she smiled happily. Alice's pregnancy made her even more beautiful than before. She was past the horrible early stages and had recently moved on into her second trimester, so she seemed to glow with happiness and anticipation.

It was a little bittersweet for me…seeing my little sister and sister in law pregnant. My pregnancy with Liam had been special, but that wonderful feeling had been slightly overshadowed with doubts and fears and all of the stress I had been feeling at the time. And I was pretty sure that the post-partum depression I had experienced was also influenced by this.

Many times I had wished Edward knew about what I had gone through- even back when things were so good between us, I still felt guilty for not telling him. And now that things were actually good, I felt even worse. Edward was my husband…and not letting him know about the post-partum depression I had gone through after giving birth to his son made me feel bad.

If I had given him the chance, I know that Edward would have taken care of me. But instead, Rosalie and Emmet, who had only been dating for a few months at the time, stepped in they did everything they could to help. They were my saving grace, the reason I had finally been able to get rid of the depression.

…

"Edward's still not here?"

I turned my head to see Rosalie standing in the doorway of our old bedroom, watching me. I was sitting on one of the twin beds that still occupied the room, lazily and mindlessly staring out the big picture window.

"No. But I'm not worried. He'll be here as soon as he can." I looked out the window again, taking in the beauty of the changing colors in the trees and the ever-present drizzling rain that fell from the sky.

"Yeah." Rosalie was suddenly sitting on the bed with me, her arm snaking around my waist and squeezing gently. "Hey…did you ever, um, take a pregnancy test?" she suddenly asked, making me jump a little bit in surprise.

"Uh, no," I stuttered, shaking my head frantically. "God, Rosalie, my period is only a couple of days late and that's totally normal for me-"

Rosalie squealed, jumping up off the bed. "Your period is late?" She exclaimed, and I swear to God, no one has ever been more excited about my menstrual cycle. "Oh my lord! Um, don't worry. I think I have an extra pregnancy test in my bag. Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back." Before I could react, she bolted out of the room, and I could hear her feet pounding loudly down the stairs.

I shook my head and groaned, not wanting to deal with this at the moment. It was almost getting to be too much.

Rosalie reappeared quickly, a pregnancy test box barely concealed under her sweater. "Go, go, go!" she urged me, yanking me up off the bed and pushing me towards the bathroom. I complained, but Rosalie ignored me and shoved the pregnancy test into my hands. "Come on, Bella. Do this for me." She pouted, trying to yank my pants down.

"Okay, Rose, I'll do it if you stop trying to take off my clothes!" I snapped, slapping her hands away. She just laughed and held her hands up, backing out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her with a quiet click.

It took me several long moments to work up the courage to open the pregnancy test, and several more minutes to actually take the pregnancy test.

As soon as the flushed the toilet and started washing my hands, Rosalie barged into the bathroom, clapping her hands together. "Alright. This is a two minute test…so all we've got to do now is wait."

I nodded, taking a shaky breath. I was definitely nervous about this. I was pretty sure I wasn't pregnant…but what if I was?

"What are you going to do if you are pregnant?" Rosalie suddenly asked, echoing my thoughts.

I shrugged my shoulders, gnawing on my bottom lip and not making eye contact with my sister. "I don't know, Rosalie. I really don't. If I were pregnant, I wouldn't be really upset about it…but it really would make things so much more difficult. I know Emmet is just trying to protect me still and I really do appreciate it, but I hate all this tension."

I exhaled loudly, and Rosalie put her head on my shoulder. "Emmet and I are always going to be here if you need us, Bella. We both love you. Emmet may come off like a dick sometimes, but I'm glad you know he's just trying to help."

We were silent for a little while, and then Rosalie spoke. "It's been three minutes now," she whispered.

I saw that my hands were shaking as I went to pick up the little white stick, but I tried to ignore it.

"Well?" Rosalie asked as I peered at the little display.

I cleared my throat, blinking several times. "Um, it's-"

…

**Gah. I know I'm evil…and I'm sorry. The next chapter will be up sometime next week!**

**Please review, but also know that there is going to be a little delay for the next chapter! My laptop needs fixing!**

**And Happy Late Thanksgiving =)**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	25. Chapter 25

**Oh my…I have missed this. My laptop still isn't fixed. But it should be…soon. Like within the next week, I hope. And then, ugh, it'll be almost Christmas. Despite my intense love for Christmas, I'm kind of dreading it this year. I've got a **_**ton **_**of stuff to do. And to top it all off, Blakely has yet another ear infection- the poor thing.**

**So, I'm busy. But I will be doing the next chapter as soon as possible…after another chapter for both "Such Difference" and "We Have the Summer". Whew…that feels like a lot. But I'll be alright =)**

**The Incessantly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Write You A Song by the Plain White T's**

**Shine by the Plain White T's**

**Northern Downpour by Panic at the Disco**

**A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me by Fall Out Boy**

**Wendy= deserving of a million thanks.**

…

BPOV

"Um, it's…negative," I said dryly, holding up the white stick so Rosalie could see for herself.

She frowned, peering at the little display window. "Oh." She sounded so deflated and morose; it kind of made me want to laugh. It was a little funny that Rosalie had been so hopeful, but I could see why. If I was pregnant, then Alice, Rosalie, and I would all be having our babies within a few months of each other. Rosalie had probably been dreaming up some corny fantasy where the kids grow up together and remain best friends for life.

But I know better than most that relationships definitely change over time. No matter what. Because really, people just change. It's a simple fact of life.

I shrugged my shoulders, reaching over and grabbing a few tissues to wrap around the pregnancy test before tossing it in the trash. "Yep. But really, Rosalie, I'm kind of glad that I'm not pregnant. I would have been happy if I really was, but this is for the best. Things are already hard for me and Edward, and adding another child to the mix won't make anything better. In fact, that would probably end up making things worse."

I wrapped my arms around my younger sister, pulling her close to me for a hug. "But thank you for making me take the test."

Rosalie laughed, and kissed me on the cheek before ending our hug. "I know you and Edward aren't ready for another kid. I was just getting all worked up about how exciting it would be if the three of us were really pregnant together. I mean, Liam has been the baby of the family for almost six years, and he's been the only kid. It would have just been cute for all of us to have babies within a couple of months of each other," she explained, smiling weakly. "It sounds kind of silly, even to me…we can just blame that all on the pregnancy hormones." Rosalie laughed again, and touched her stomach gently.

"I know," I said softly, touching her arm. "And really, Rose, I'm so happy for you and Emmet. These past couple of months have obviously been hard on the two of you…and I'm so glad you'll get to experience how wonderful it is to have a child. When Liam was born…I don't even know how to fully describe how everything felt. The whole center of my life, of my universe, was suddenly focused on him…that tiny little blue bundle that I love more than anything else in the entire world."

"I already love this baby so much," Rosalie murmured, a beautiful smile lighting up her face. "And thank you…Emmet and I are happy too."

"Let's go back downstairs…Edward should be here soon, and then we'll finally get to eat."

Rosalie and I linked arms and walked downstairs, talking quietly. We reached the bottom of the stairs, and suddenly Edward was there in front of me, a crooked half smile on his face.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late."

I immediately launched myself towards him, hugging his body close to mine. "It's okay," I whispered in his ear. "You're here now!" It was a cheesy thing to say, yes, but I really was excited. It felt good to be this excited about my marriage again. "And now we can eat."

"You guys didn't have to wait for me," Edward muttered, kissing the side of my head as I released him from my tight grip. "Where's Liam?"

"I think he's playing outside with my dad and Emmet." The three of us headed into the kitchen, where my mom was putting the finishing touches on our meal. "Mom, Edward's here," I informed her. "Do you want me to go get Liam, Emmet, and Dad?"

My mom glanced up, smiling at Edward. "Hi, Edward." Then she glanced over at me, her smile still in place. "And sure, Bella, go and get them. Thanks."

I nodded and turned to head towards the back door, smiling when Edward grabbed my hand in his and linked our fingers together. "How was the Weber family reunion?" I asked as I opened the door leading to my parent's backyard. Emmet, Liam, and my dad were tossing a football back and forth even though it was still raining a little.

"It was good. Tons of people were there, though. It was kind of a photographers nightmare, honestly." Edward laughed, and the sound drew the attention of our son over to us.

"Daddy!" Liam dropped the football he had been attempting to throw and ran right for Edward. "You're here!"

"I sure am!" Edward scooped Liam up into his arm and hugged him tightly, pulling down the scarf that Liam had wrapped around his neck and lower face. "You didn't start eating without me, did you?" He asked, his voice teasingly playful.

"No, silly, we waited!" Liam giggled, and Charlie and Emmet approached us.

"Mom says it's time to eat," I said, and as Charlie and Emmet said hello to Edward we all headed back inside. Edward helped Liam shed the excessive layers my mom had forced him into before going outside; I smiled as I watched the two of them. It was so sweet and loving. I wanted them to have time together now, so that they could build up more of a relationship. They love each other, of course, but that's not quite the same thing as having a good father/son bond.

After some horsing around, everyone in the family is gathered around the dinner table- which is practically overflowing with dishes and platters and delicious food- and we said grace with Charlie leading. That was yet another one of those little Thanksgiving traditions of ours that we didn't want to change.

I didn't eat the Thanksgiving turkey, obviously, but piled my plate high with other foods. Liam was still a picky little boy, and only allowed Edward to put some turkey, mashed potatoes, a roll, and red cranberry jell-o on his plate.

We tucked into our meal, talking loudly across the table and laughing. Edward put his hand on my knee at one point, which put an even wider smile on my face for the rest of the meal.

After eating more than our fair share of food, everyone complimented my mom on the delicious meal. We helped her clean up, and then retreated into the living room.

And there, gathered all together, I felt like even more than a family than ever before.

…

"I'm still full," Edward groaned, flopping back onto our bed late that night.

We had just gotten back from Thanksgiving dinner with the Cullen's, and I too, was stuffed. "Me, too," I said, yawning loudly. I got on the bed next to him, resting my head on his chest. "It was nice, though," I murmured after a moment. "It was nice having all of us together for Thanksgiving."

Edward was quiet, and he gently kissed my forehead while running his fingers through the ends of my messy ponytail. "It was." There was another short moment of silence. "I'm so thankful for you, Bella. And for everything you've done, and for Liam. Without the two of you…I would be nothing."

"Thank you," I whispered, closing my eyes for a moment. "I'm unbelievably thankful for the two of you, too. You boys…you're my life."

Edward responded by sitting up and kissing me, his lips strong and needy against mine. "I love you so much," he said against my lips, and then his lips traveled to my jaw and his hands traveled…elsewhere.

Even though his touch felt so good, there were some things that Edward and I needed to talk about now, before I got totally lost in the moment. "Wait," I said quietly, stopping him before he could unzip my jeans. "Um, from now on, I think you need to wear a condom." Edward stared at me, looking a little confused.

"Uh, okay. I guess I can go and get some tomorrow…but can I ask why?"

I hesitated for a moment, but only because I was slightly unsure of how to get my point across. "I'm still on birth control, but we both know that birth control isn't completely effective in preventing pregnancy," I began, aware that I sounded like a commercial for the pill. "My period is late. I mean, that's not totally uncommon, but I told Rosalie and she talked me into taking a test, and-"

"Wait a second." Edward stared at me, gaping. "What?"

"Let me finish. I took a test this morning, but it was negative. And I don't know…I knew that I wasn't pregnant, but for those three minutes when I was waiting for the test, I realized that it was completely possible. So…yeah. I want you to start wearing a condom when we have sex. And you don't need to go and buy some, Rosalie shared her stash with me, seeing as she's not going to need them anymore."

Edward continued to stare at me, processing the information. "Okay," he finally said slowly. "Thanks for telling me…and I get what you're saying. However, I'm a little freaked out about the fact that I'm about to use condoms that were intended for my brother in law to use."

"You're getting a little cocky there, mister," I snipped, raising my eyebrows at him before getting serious again. "I just want to be more careful from now on. Even though I do want more kids eventually, it's still way too soon for us to be thinking about that."

"You want more kids?" Edward asked with a smile on his face as he looked down at me. "How many more?"

I shrugged, grinning now as well. "I don't know…maybe two more?"

Edward whistled, making me giggle. "Well, Missus, I don't know about you, but I think I might need a little practice if we're going to have two more babies in the future."

I laughed loudly, but stopped when Edward leaned down and kissed me firmly on the lips. "You're killing my ego, Bella," he whispered, making me giggle again.

"I don't think _anything _could kill your ego, baby." I kissed him again, smiling widely. "Kiss me again," I whispered softly, and Edward obliged.

It wasn't long until we were lost in each other all over again, kissing and touching and remembering how _good _it felt to be so in love. I loved the reassurances that Edward gave me- the gestures that made me feel so safe and comfortable and cared for as he loved me in the same why I loved him.

And this time, we remembered to lock the door. No interruptions, no distractions. Just us and the way we loved each other.

…

**Ughhh I am so busy. This is so not my day. Or my week. Maybe next week will be…but I doubt that for some reason.**

**Please be sure to review, and I promise that I will update again as soon as I can.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	26. Chapter 26

**Well, the **_**day**_** I finally got my laptop back (wayyy back at the end of December), I also found out that I've been impregnated. Again. Le sigh.**

**I'm kidding. I'm actually pretty pumped about the impregnation, but sad that I haven't had the time to update. But don't worry- I'm here. And even though I've (falsely) said this before, this story really will be coming to a close shortly. I wish I weren't so busy lately, but I really am. I'm kind of buckling down at work right now because I'm not sure if I will be returning after I have my second child. **

**Who knows?**

**Okay. So…here we go. Oh, and thank you sooo much for all your support and reviews. It has been unbelievably awesome!**

**The Unremittingly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**You and Me by the Plain White T's**

**Our Song by the Plain White T's**

**Words I Couldn't Say by Leighton Meester**

**United States of Pop 2010 by various artists, mixed by DJ Earworm**

**Sooo many thanks to my pre-reader, Wendy!**

…

BPOV

"Bella? What was Emmet talking about yesterday?"

Edward's question startled me, and I put down the sandwich I had been about to eat for lunch. "What are you talking about?" I asked, even though I did know what he was talking about and I was just stalling.

"Bella…" Edward smiled wryly, shaking his head. "Don't bother trying to stall. He kind of worried me, actually. He said that I had no idea what you went through when I was first gone. What…what was that all about?" Edward's voice was calm and smooth, but the telltale why he ran his fingers through his hair was a big indication of how nervous he was about this.

"Don't freak out, okay? This happened five years ago, and I'm fine now." I began, reaching up and cupping his stubble covered cheek with my hand. "It was just hard for me, being all by myself with Liam when he was a newborn."

His mouth dropped open and I could tell he was about to interrupt me, so I started to talk faster- I just wanted to get this out in the open.

"You left, and even though I don't hold that against you anymore, I was extremely sad and overwhelmed. Postpartum depression is something that happens to a lot of woman, Edward. I went through that, and I'm proud to say that I came out of it as a stronger woman and mother."

"You should have told me," Edward said quietly. He seemed upset, but definitely not angry. It just seemed like he was feeling…hurt. And I didn't blame him for feeling like that. "I would have come back. You know I would have."

"I know you would have, Edward. But that's not the point. Everything that has happened in the past has led to what we are now. And I _love _what we are now. Things have been difficult, but I wouldn't change it for the world."

"I just want you to know that I'll be here whenever you need me, sweetheart," Edward murmured, kissing the palm of my hand. "And I love where we are, too. You don't have to worry about that."

I smiled and leaned over, kissing him softly on the lips. "I love you, baby."

He smiled right back, his green eyes shining. "I love you, too."

…

The next couple of weeks passed with a kind of blissful peace. Edward left shortly after Thanksgiving, but was back to both Liam and I within a couple of days. It was astounding how well our two separate lives were meshing together. Liam was the center of all- reveling in the attention from both of his parents and loving it.

It seemed like no time at all had passed when Christmas approached, and we were all together for the holiday.

In the years past Edward had been gone on Christmas Eve, so Liam and I had spent Christmas with my parents and Edward had only been there for Christmas Day, which we had always spent with his family. But this year, we were going to be changing things up.

Liam, Edward, and I would spend Christmas Eve alone, and then split Christmas Day up between his family and my family.

Before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve and for the first time, we got to spend it as a family.

"Mom! Mom, do I get to open these presents right now?" Liam was bouncing around the living room on Christmas Eve night, his wide eyes shining with pure excitement as he took in the mountain of presents in front of him.

"Yep! Santa brought them early so that you could open them tonight and then go see our family tomorrow." I kissed the top of his head and then sat down next to Edward on the couch, curling up against him as he wrapped his arm around me lovingly.

Liam clapped his hands together and then retrieved all of our stockings from the fireplace mantle; handing Edward and I our stockings before delving into his own.

Edward and I had filled each other's stockings, each of us opting for funny or sentimental little trinkets. Liam's stocking, on the other hand, was filled to the brim with candy and little toys that I knew we would have to ration out so that he wouldn't have a complete sugar rush tonight.

He quickly lost interest with the candy and toys, moving on to the much larger presents under the tree. Edward and I had an agreement- we would only buy each other one present and that would be it.

"Here you go." Edward held out a small, silver wrapped box with a blue ribbon wrapped around it. "I guess it's technically two presents, but they came together so I figured we could make an exception."

I laughed, eagerly ripping the wrapping paper away. My breath immediately caught in my throat when the glimmering diamonds caught my eye. "Oh, dear lord, Edward…you shouldn't have done this-"

"Don't be silly," Edward said quickly, taking the box out of my hands. Within a blink of the eye, he had latched the beautiful necklace of rose-cut diamonds around my neck and slid the platinum ring with diamonds and sapphires on the ring finger of my right hand.

I fumbled to find the perfect words that would sound beautiful and elegant, but eventually I just found the words that were right. "Thank you…I love them. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"What did you get, Mom?" Liam wandered over, wrapping paper stuck to the hem of his pants and a new toy in his hands.

I grinned, showing Liam my new necklace and ring. "Your daddy got me some _very _beautiful jewelry," I explained, inexplicable tears forming in my eyes.

"Pretty," Liam said with a smile, before holding up the toy in his hands. "Look what Santa brought me!" He shouted excitedly.

Edward and I fawned over him and his new presents before it was my turn to give him his present. However, Liam couldn't exactly see it because…well, it definitely wasn't kid friendly.

So we waited for several more minutes as Liam showcased the presents he had gotten and made a big show out of putting them all away in his room. By the time we got him bathed, dressed, and tucked into bed, I was chomping at the bit to give Edward his present.

We walked hand in hand to our bedroom, and Edward laughed immediately as he saw what was sitting in the middle of our bedroom. "How did you get this in here?" He asked, running his hand over the smooth leather and looking over his shoulder at me.

"When it was delivered I had them put it in my closet, and I managed to drag it out of my there by myself this afternoon," I explained, running my hands up and down his back before squeezing his broad shoulders. "I'm going to change, and then we can try this out." I kissed him firmly on the lips, making sure to sway my hips a little as I made my way into the bathroom.

Knowing Edward would be getting impatient fairly quickly, I hurried to change into the skintight lace baby doll slip I had gotten at La Perla and brush my hair, as well as putting on minimal makeup and just a squirt of perfume.

By the time I got out of the bathroom, Edward was sitting on the short part of the Tantra Chair, his shirt unbuttoned and his belt gone.

"Did you lock the door?" I asked, and Edward's eyes practically glazed over as his head shot up and he took in my appearance.

"Uh, yeah, I did," he said as he licked his lips. "Baby, you look…incredible."

"Thanks," I whispered, straddling the chair and bringing my lips to his. "Do you like your present?" I asked against his mouth.

"Of course I do." Edward's voice was thick and his breathing was picking up already. "Because if I'm not mistaken, this is a…sex chair. Is it not?"

I laughed softly, running my hands through his unruly hair. "It sure is. It changes your pelvic angles and allows us to explore the 'advanced sexual positions of the Kama Sutra'. And guess what else? It promises more frequent orgasms, more intense orgasms, and deeper penetration. How does that sound?"

"Pretty damn good," Edward managed to say, his teeth scrapping against my neck as he kissed me sloppily there.

We both shed our clothes and I gently pushed Edward back onto the chair so that he was lying on his back, and I wasted no time straddling him and letting him slip inside me. My eyes rolled back into my head when I discovered that this chair really did provide deeper penetration. I mean, I could always _feel _it and it always felt amazing, but damn, this was even better.

I felt like I was being all consumed, loved, and cherished even more than usual. Edward's kisses were even more insistent, and all I could feel was him.

…

"Bella?" Edward's breath was warm and sweet across the back of my neck, making me smile lazily.

"Yeah?"

"I love you. Not like I loved you before…but more. This is it, Bella. I'm going to do everything I can to show you that this is it for me. You and Liam are most important things in my life, and I love you both more than anything."

I smiled softly, closing my eyes in contentment. "I know that, baby, because I feel the exact same way."

…

**Hey, fyi, the Tantra Chair is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Look it upppp after you delete the spaces:**

**Oh, and this way not safe for work.**

**http : /www . tantrachair . com / en / content / 1 / homepage /**

**And the links to Bella's jewelry from Edward will be up on my blog, www . 22lovelovelove22 . blogspot . com**

**Okay, so what did you think? I thought I would give you some cuteness and a dash of sexiness. Yummy.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	27. Chapter 27

**It has been a really busy couple of weeks. But as always, I am thrilled to be done with another chapter. This one took longer than I previously anticipated, and actually came out shorter than I wanted it to. But it's the kind of chapter that sums things up, so that's why. No, it is **_**not **_**the last chapter, but we are building up to that. Right now, my approximate guess for the last chapter is Chapter 30. At least that's what I'm shooting for.**

**I finished up "Eye of the Beholder" and "Such Difference" over that last week, so those are done and out of the way (with the exception of an outtake/future take for each) and the next chapter for "The Way I Love You" is about halfway done. I'm probably going to be busy for the rest of the week, but I'll try to update.**

**I'm glad you all enjoyed the Tantra Chair in the last chapter. They're pretty pricey, but I still think it might be worth it. **

**The Assiduously Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Hey Alli by Runner Runner**

**E.T. by Katy Perry (feat. Kanye West)**

**Together With the Sundown by Stephen Jerzak**

**If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out by Cat Stevens **

**As always, thank you to Wendy for being such an attentive pre-reader. **

…

BPOV

The weeks following the holiday season moved by slowly, ticking by one at a time. Liam was cooped up in the house for the first week of January thanks to a nasty cold, and to make it worse, Edward was also gone that week. His traveling assignments were shorter and less frequent, but they always seemed to be at the worst times. Liam was cranky, sick, going stir-crazy, and missed his dad, and that definitely was not a good combination.

Luckily, my mom, always the doting grandmother, agreed to watch Liam for a couple of hours so that I could have a little time alone with Rosalie. We met at our favorite coffee shop, and Rosalie proudly showed me some sonogram pictures of her baby.

She was fourth months pregnant now, and her baby bump, albeit very small, had appeared.

"So when will Edward be back?" Rosalie asked, taking a large sip of her hot tea.

"Three days," I responded. "He had to do some follow up photos in St. Louis for a magazine spread, so this is probably one of the few times he'll be out of state. His manager agreed that he would cover more things in Seattle and local areas and less nationwide stuff."

"That's great, Bella. I hope he's around in July, because that's probably when Emmet and I are going to have the baby baptized. And I know it's still pretty early to be talking about stuff like this, but Emmet and I are going to ask you and Edward to be the baby's godparents."

I nearly choked on my mouthful of coffee out of excitement. "Oh my goodness! Rose, that's so sweet…we would be honored."

Rosalie laughed, handing me a napkin to wipe away the coffee that had dribbled down my chin. "We're going to formally ask you to be the godparents after the baby is born, but I wanted to make sure you'd say yes first."

"Are you crazy? Of course we'll be the godparents. I'm honored that you asked…Edward and I would love that. I'm so excited for your new baby- and Alice's and Jasper's of course. And so is Liam; he's so happy he won't be the only kid in the family anymore, even though I told him that everything would no longer revolve him at family parties."

"That's true. But Liam is an amazing kid, Bella. I think he'll handle two new additions to the family perfectly well. Because honestly, I'm astounded at how well you raised him, considering what was going on in your life. Postpartum depression is a serious thing, and your husband was gone for his job and I'm just so proud of you." There were tears in my little sister's eyes, which of course made me tear up as well.

I really was proud of my son. He was just a little boy and he was still an amazing person and I am in awe of him every single day. Not just for being my sweet son, but also because he loves me and he loves his daddy, despite of the mistakes Edward and I have made. It's a wonderful thing to have your son see you as his hero; a flawless icon and person to look up to.

"Thank you, Rose. That means a lot to me, and I know it would mean a lot to Edward, too." There were tears running down my face now, and Rosalie reached over and wiped them away.

"Stop crying!' She said, wiping at her own eyes, too. "I'm the pregnant one here, I have an excuse!"

"I do to have a reason to cry! It's an amazing thing to experience the unconditional love of being a parent, and to be loved unconditionally as well. Rosalie, I know you can hear what I'm saying, but you won't really understand until you hold your child in your arms for the first time and feel that overwhelming rush of love…it's stronger than anything you've ever felt before- stronger than your love for your family or even for your husband. And it never stops, Rose, not for one second."

"I can't wait," Rosalie whispered, and I couldn't wait either. Not just for her, but for myself too. I wanted to be a parent again, to have another wonderfully amazing child to love and to share with my husband and the rest of my family. Not yet, because I knew we weren't ready. But soon…sometime soon, I hoped.

April 2010:

My brother and Alice's baby was gorgeous. He was a thick head of fine blonde hair, the pudgiest cheeks I had seen on a baby and icy blue eyes that captured my heart immediately. Parker Michael Swan was my first nephew, and I was totally captivated by him.

All of my friends were around my age or even younger, so most of them hadn't had children yet. Parker was the first baby I had been around for a long period of time in several years, and his presence just made me want another baby even more.

"And did you see how long his fingers are? And how tiny his toes are?" I was babbling as Edward and I walked into our bedroom. We had just spent the entire day with my family, and we were both exhausted.

"Yes, Bella. I saw." Edward smiled indulgently, his green eyes a little hazy with tiredness. "He's one of the cutest babies I've ever seen. Other than Liam, of course."

I nodded, flopping down on our bed and kicking off my shoes. "Of course." I was quiet for a long moment as I gazed at my husband, watching him untie his shoelaces and slip off his shoes. "Liam is wonderful," I finally said, knowing this was something that Edward and I definitely both agreed on. "When I found out we were having a baby all those years ago…I never thought it would turn out so wonderfully. He's made me so happy, and so have you."

Edward smiled lazily, joining me on the bed and kissing me softly and sweetly as only he could. "I feel the same way."

I curled up against Edward, resting my head on his chest. "I know that you and I are just now getting back into the swing of things…but I think that you should know I'm ready to have another baby. I'm not saying we have to get pregnant right away or even in the few months or year, but I want to start trying or maybe just _think_ about trying. Having a baby is a huge deal, but I know you and I can handle it again."

He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes so deep and soulful. "I know we can handle it, too, sweetheart. And I've been thinking about this too…I'm ready to have a baby whenever you are. Honestly, I am."

"That's good…why don't we start trying right now?" I asked, kissing him fully on the lips. I tangled my hands in his hair, eager to have him so close again.

Edward just grinned, pulling me closer as well. He hitched my leg over his hip, and then framed my face in his hands as he kissed me. His kisses made my toes curl and made my heart feel full, and they were the most perfect kisses I had ever experienced. The love and devotion we felt for each other was poured into each of our kisses and that made it so much better.

"Lock the door," I reminded him in between kisses, and as he got up to lock it I quickly shed my clothes and yanked down the comforter on the bed.

Edward joined me on the bed again, quickly discarding his clothes as well. His fingers danced up and down my body, playing me like a familiar instrument. He touched me everywhere and I reciprocated, not leaving an inch of skin neglected.

His body felt so familiar inside of mine, but it was never enough and never would satisfy me. Loving him was physical and emotional and mental all rolled up into one indescribable feeling, something that I never wanted to forget or loose.

He gave me Liam, and that is something that I will always be grateful for. And hopefully, he and I will be giving each other another child sometime soon.

June 2010:

My sister and Emmet's baby was gorgeous as well. She had hardly any hair at all, but what she did have on her head was dark and wispy and beautiful. Her lips were heart shaped and rosy red, and her eyes were so dark they were nearly black in certain lighting. Luca Olivia Addison McCarty was my first niece, and she was beautiful.

Rosalie and Emmet had been perfectly calm when I got to the hospital right after Rosalie went into labor. But when the baby's heart rate spiked and the doctor said Rosalie would need to have an emergency c-section, they had been completely and understandably frantic.

They had both been so worried. Rosalie was worried for her unborn child, and Emmet was worried for his unborn child and for his wife.

But thankfully, there was nothing to be afraid of. An hour later, their daughter entered the world and she was perfect.

That day was important in more ways than just one. Yes, my niece was safely delivered into the world and yes my sister was happier than she had ever been, but so was I. Shortly after Luca was born, Edward and I had gone down to the hospital's clinic and asked to have my blood drawn for a pregnancy test.

"I think you may be more anxious than I am," I remarked, watching Edward pace the tiny space of the examination room.

"Maybe," Edward shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at me. "I wasn't with you in the moment that you found out you were pregnant last time. You were alone, and you told me only when you knew for sure."

I nodded, picking at my finger nails. "I'm not sure if I am," I whispered softly. "I hope so, but I'm trying not to get too excited just in case-"

I was cut off when the doctor walked back into the room, the results of my blood test in her hand.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen."

…

**I'm watching the Oscar's right now…that Twilight thing was stupid. But I still loved it because it was Edward and Jacob and Bella.**

**I'll update again as soon as I can. **

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you, as always, for all of your wonderful reviews. There will be a couple more chapters, and I am going to try and finish them up as quickly as I can and get them all posted. As of right now, I have no plans for any outtakes or future-takes, but I won't say that they will never happen. If I decide to make some, I will be sure to let you all know.**

**My goodness. What are these crazy kids up to these days?**

**The Diligently Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri**

**Enchanted by Owl City**

**Without a Light by Plushgun**

**Halo/Walking On Sunshine by the Glee cast**

**Thanks to Wendy for pre-reading!**

…

BPOV

"Mommy! Mommy, help me!" Liam screeched, running towards me with his arms stretched wide. "Daddy's going to get me!" He threw himself into my arms, tucking his head into the crook of my neck.

Edward grinned as he turned around the corner, his hands tucked in his pockets. "You got away this time, Liam. You may not be so lucky next time around."

Liam turned around in my arms, laughing happily. "Mommy will protect me," he said confidently, and I couldn't help but hug him tighter. It had only been a few days since Edward and I learned that I was pregnant, but I was already feeling more emotional than ever. I wanted to make sure that Liam didn't get left out because of all the new additions to our family with Jasper's son, Rosalie's daughter, and now our new baby. In fact, Edward and I had decided that now was the time to tell Liam about his new sibling, who would be arriving in about five months.

I glanced up at Edward meaningfully, and he nodded.

"Liam, your dad and I kind of wanted to talk to you about something," I said, adjusting Liam on my lap as Edward sat down next to me on the couch.

Liam's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Am I in trouble?"

Edward laughed, shaking his head. "No, Liam, you're not in trouble. We just have something that we want to tell you. It's good news, don't worry," he assured Liam, and we shared a smile. This pregnancy had been a secret between Edward and me for the past few days, and while it felt good to keep it to ourselves, it was also very exciting that we could begin sharing the good news with the rest of our family as well.

"Your dad and I are going to have another baby," I announced, a huge smile on my face. There was a split moment when I wondered if Liam would take the news as well as we had thought, but any trace of doubt instantly vanished as Liam whooped loudly and jump off my lap, clapping his hands together.

"Really? A new baby? Like Luca and Parker, but my own baby brother?"

"Or sister," Edward corrected him, putting his arm around my shoulders. "But yes, like Luca and Parker. In about five months, your mom will have the baby and then we get to have a new baby in the house."

Liam could hardly contain his excitement, and he clamored back onto my lap. "I'll be a good big brother, Mommy. Don't worry." He hugged me sweetly. "Daddy, we'll have to take real good care of my mommy while we wait for my baby to come," he said sternly, causing Edward to laugh.

"Yeah, we will," Edward promised, playfully tousling Liam's curls with his hand. "Why don't we start right now? Let's go get your mom something to drink. She's been working hard in the garden all morning."

Liam quickly agreed, and I watched happily as my two boys walked hand in hand into the kitchen, talking quietly together. I ghosted my hand over my stomach, smiling yet again. I had been searching for happiness all along, and now I had my own little pieces of heaven.

…

"Let me hold her now." I eagerly reached out for little Luca, longing to hug her and kiss her and cradle her in my arms, but my mom turned away slightly, holding the precious baby girl closer to her.

"No," she pouted and smiled down at her granddaughter. "She's too cute…"

I huffed, rolling my eyes impatiently. "Come on, Mom, let me hold her! You've had her here all day while Emmet and Rosalie are at work, and now it's my turn."

She sighed but relented, and I happily took my niece into my arms and smiled down at her. Luca was two months old, and growing in leaps and bounds. Her hair was still scarce and wispy, but so dark that it was almost black. Her eyes, too, were extremely dark, and it was very obvious that she wouldn't be taking after her blued eyed, blonde haired mother.

But she had the sweetest temperament, and she was so tiny and vulnerable.

Edward had taken Liam to the zoo today- it was Liam's last week before school started up again, and they were trying to have some father-son alone time. So after puttering around at home for a little while, I had decided to go and visit my mom and had been pleased to find that she was also babysitting Luca.

"What's new in your life, Bella?" My mom asked, pouring me another cup of tea.

I shrugged, my eyes glued to Luca's face. "Not much. Liam is getting excited to go back to school, and Edward has couple of jobs lined up…"

"And what about you?" She looked at me with that look that only your mother can give you, and I knew that she had an idea about what was going on. I just grinned, and she returned my smile happily. "Oh, honey…this is so wonderful." My mom stood up and hugged me lovingly, mindful of the baby I held in my arms. "How far along are you, sweetheart?"

"Only about four months," I said, letting my happiness show. "Edward and I just told Liam, and we are all very excited."

She kissed my forehead, and I felt so at peace as the familiar scent of her sweet perfume filled my nostrils. "Congratulations. When are you going to be telling the rest of the family?"

I shrugged, taking a sip of my tea as my mom sat back down in her chair. "I don't. I think I'd like to wait just a little bit longer to tell everyone else, and we'll probably tell Edward's parents first- only because they don't have any other grandchildren or immediate family members."

My mom nodded, her eyes glued to Luca, who had fallen asleep in my arms. "That's understandable. I'm just happy for you, Bella. Ever since you told me what happened between you and Edward…I just want you to be happy. And the two of you are obviously happy." She smiled sweetly at me, taking another drink of her tea. "What did Liam think of the whole thing when you told him?"

"He was very excited, and I think he's already started wishing for a little brother. I think Edward wants another boy too, but I'm secretly wishing for a little girl…" I looked down longingly at my niece, who had little pink headband on. "I love Liam- he's the sweetest boy I could have ever asked for, but now I really want a baby girl I can dress up in pink and everything."

"I know what you mean. Jasper was a wonderful baby, but when you were born I was ecstatic that I finally had a baby girl."

I smiled. "I loved having an older brother, too. Jasper was always so protective of me. And even when he bullied me, it was nice to have a big brother around."

Even though I knew that there was no way things could be completely perfect, but I felt like we were pretty damn close to perfection.

…

Edward's parents were a little formal and stuffy, but they were still loving and welcoming.

We were having dinner at their house, getting ready to tell them about the news of my pregnancy. Liam hadn't come along with Edward and I- he was spending the night at my parent's house instead. The Cullen's really were nice people, and they had always accepted Liam and me into their family with open arms. I knew that they would be excited about the new baby as well.

"So, tell me, what's new?" Esme Cullen smiled toothily at me, a glass of red wine in her hand. I had declined her offer for a drink, and now I was trying to ignore her knowing smile.

"I have a couple jobs lined up in Port Angeles over the next month," Edward volunteered. "And I won't have to travel out of state again until sometime in November."

Esme pursed her lips, exchanging a glance with her husband. Carlisle just smiled back at her, relaxed and at ease for once.

"That's wonderful," Esme finally said, and Edward nodding, giving me a sly look.

"Yes, it's pretty great," I said quickly. "I really wanted Edward to be home even more often over the next few months, with the new baby coming and everything."

I waited for a moment and watched as Esme absorbed the information, and then grinned. "You're pregnant!" She asked excitedly, nudging Carlisle in the arm. "How far along are you, Bella? And when are you due?"

Edward nodded, wrapping his arm around my waist as I spoke. "Yes, I'm pregnant. I'm only about four months along and due in the middle of January."

"That's wonderful!" Esme exclaimed, getting up out of her chair and coming over to Edward and I, giving us each a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "I'm so excited for a second grandchild!"

"Congratulations, you two," Carlisle said, raising his glass of scotch to us in a toast. "Is Liam happy about his new sibling?"

"Yes," Edward said, taking a small drink of his own scotch. "Liam is pretty happy- he's looking forward for a new sibling to play with. But I think that by the time the baby is born, he might be a little sick of babies. Bella's sister in law just had a baby in April, and her sister just had a baby two months ago. I think he's kind of overwhelmed right now."

"But he is excited," I interjected, squeezing Edward's hand. "We all are."

…

One Month Later:

I pulled my shirt up over my rounded belly, shivering as the cold ultrasound gel touched my stomach.

"Sorry." The ultrasound technician smiled apologetically, and Edward squeezed my hand gently. "Alright, now let's see what we've got here…" she pressed the wand down on my stomach and glanced at the screen to my right, her eyes searching.

I heard the comforting sound of my child's heartbeat, which made me exhale in relief. Even though I knew deep down that everything was okay and I did have faith, it was still wonderful to have that reassurance.

"The heartbeat is strong, that's good," the technician remarked. "And everything else looks good…" she trailed off, and then glanced at Edward and me. "Would the two of you like to learn the sex of your baby today? If not, you're going to want to turn away, because I think I'll be able to get a pretty good visual."

"We decided that we would like to know," Edward said, and I nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then look right here…" she trailed off again, and then pointed to the screen. "See that there? Your baby is definitely a girl. Congratulations."

"Oh my God…" I breathed, my eyes glued to the screen. Our baby looked so real, albeit very tiny. And I already loved her so much. "A girl." I squeezed Edward's hand tightly, tears flooding my eyes. "Edward, I get to have a beautiful baby girl…" I hesitated, looking into Edward's eyes. "You weren't hoping for another boy, were you?"

Edward laughed, touching his lips to my forehead. "Bella, why would I be wishing for a boy when I'm getting a girl?"

…

**I am in dire need of a break. So tired.**

**Please review, let me know what's on your mind.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	29. Chapter 29

**So behind schedule…with everything. I might be leaving my beloved city of Chicago to move somewhere out of state in the near future, but we still aren't sure yet. It all depends if my hubby gets the promotion he's shooting for. If that happens, this is going to experience a bit more of a delay.**

**But as you can see, this story is started to wrap up and it shouldn't be too much longer now before it is finally all finished. As always, thank you so much for reviewing. It's just wonderful.**

**The (Panic! At the Disco oriented) Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Sarah Smiles by Panic! At The Disco (this is my ABSOLUTE favorite song at the moment)**

**Always by Panic! At The Disco**

**Memories by Panic! At The Disco**

**Trade Mistakes by Panic! At The Disco**

**This chapter has **_**not **_**been to the pre-reader yet. But when Wendy is free to look this over, I'll make any corrections that are needed.**

**Be sure to look at my author's note at the bottom about the poll of my profile page.**

…

BPOV

"What about Lynnette?" I asked, glancing up from the baby names book that was propped up against my huge belly. "It means 'pretty one'. That's nice, right?"

Edward shrugged, his hand lazily rubbing my stomach. "Yeah, it's nice. But I don't know. I kind of think we should wait until she's born until we give her a name. Like, instead of trying to make her fit the name that we choose, we should find a name based on how she really is."

I frowned, putting down the pen I had been using to circle the baby names that I liked. "Really? We picked Liam's name out when I was only six months pregnant, just like I am now with this baby girl, and I think it fits him perfectly because we picked it out with him in mind."

"I just think we should just do things differently this time around," Edward finally said, looking up at me through his long eyelashes. "I…I don't want you to go through what you did after Liam was born," he added as an afterthought.

"Don't even think like that, Edward," I scolded, pinching his cheek playfully. "Things were really hard for me then, okay? And it's different now. We don't need to change anything, because you and I have both done our best to provide for our son and he's perfect just the way he is."

Edward was quite for a second, pondering. "Okay. I get it. I'm just a little unsure, you know? It's scary going into this again, even though things really are different this time around."

I leaned over and pecked him on the lips, and then turned the page of the baby names book. "Alright. So I want to at least have a couple names picked out for her when she's born. We don't have to have a final name picked out, but I want some options."

"Lynnette is okay," Edward said, peering at the book. "But what about Madelyn? Or Marianne? I like both of those."

I nodded, relishing in the moment, loving how domestic this felt. "I like Madelyn, but Marianne seems a little old fashioned. I don't know how I feel about that, even though old fashioned names are supposedly making a comeback." I paused, flipping through a few pages in the book. "Ooh, I like Ella. That's pretty, and it's nice and simple."

"It's pretty," Edward said softly, kissing me gently on the lips again. I could feel the curve of his smile against my own lips as he started to pull away from me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"So those are the three names we'll keep as options…Lynnette, Madelyn, and Ella." I circled all three names in the book, and then shut it and set it down on my bedside table. "Three months left," I said softly, rubbing my stomach. "And then she'll be here, and we'll be parents again."

Edward smiled crookedly, placing a quick kiss on my belly. "I know, Bella. And I can't wait."

I laughed, twirling my wedding ring around my finger. Thanks to the weight I had gained during my pregnancy, the ring fit a lot better now, and I wouldn't be taking it off again for a very long time. "Liam is getting impatient too. The other day he asked me if I could just have her now instead in a couple of months. I think he's getting tired of fat, tired, and emotional Bella and wants the regular me back."

Edward gave me a little glare for calling me fat, and then took my hand in his. "He's just excited. But he does like helping you, and he told me that he's practicing to be a big brother." My heart nearly melted at the thought of my sweet baby boy growing up so much and so fast. I nearly started to tear up, but instead focused on Edward. "I think this trip will be good for him. He and I haven't gotten to spend any time together alone over the past couple of months."

"You'll both have a lot of fun. And truth be told, I'm looking forward to a relaxing week by myself at home. It'll be nice and quiet, and maybe I'll actually be able to get something done."

In three weeks, Edward would be taking Liam with him on a trip to New York City. Originally, we planned to go as a family over Liam's Spring or Summer break, but then with my sister and sister-in-law having babies in the spring and summer, and now with my own pregnancy, the family trip was postponed. Instead, Liam and Edward would get to spend a week together by themselves, something that had never happened before.

Liam was over the moon, and I knew that he'd starting packing his suitcase over a week ago in anticipation. He was nearly as excited about the trip to New York with his daddy as he was about his new baby sister, and I didn't blame him.

Even though Edward always made plenty of time for Liam at home, I thought it was a good idea for the two of them to have a little time alone with each other before the baby was born. Liam would have to miss a week of school for the trip, but Edward and I had decided that it was worth it. He was in first grade, not high school, and missing a couple of days wasn't going to hurt him.

In fact, missing school to spend some much needed time with his father was probably exactly what Liam needed right now.

…

"And then we got on the big boat and stood at the front and sailed in the water. And you know what? We sailed right past the Statue of…the Statue of Liberty, and it was _so tall_! It was taller than Daddy, Uncle Emmet, and Uncle Jasper put together! We didn't get to go inside of it though, but that's okay because we walked around outside and Daddy let me get a hot dog and a lemonade-"

I smiled as I listened to my son's rambling. He and Edward had been in New York City for two days now, and even though I already missed the two of them terribly, I was glad they were having so much fun together. Yesterday they had spent the day playing and walking around in Central Park, and today they had gone to some of the more tourist-y spots, including the Statue of Liberty.

"Tomorrow, Daddy said he's going to take me to his job and then he said we could go to a really big Toys R Us and some candy stores!"

"Wow, baby, that sounds like so much fun!" I said enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you're having lots of fun."

"I am," Liam confirmed. "And so is Daddy…oh. Daddy wants to talk to you. Bye Mommy, I love you. Tell my baby sister that I love her, too."

I smiled widely, tears blurring my vision momentarily. "I love you too, baby, and so does your baby sister."

Liam said goodbye again and then I heard the phone changing hands. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi, Edward. I'm so glad Liam is having a good time…is the trip going well?"

"It's great, Bella," Edward laughed. "Liam is behaving like an angel…tomorrow I've got to do some photos in Time Square and then we're going to some cheesy stores I thought Liam would like. How are you doing, by the way? Are you feeling okay?"

"Don't worry, Edward, I feel great. Yesterday Rose and I went shopping with Luca and today I've just been lazy…I read for most of the morning, cleaned a little bit in the afternoon, and then I had pasta for dinner and sat down to watch some pointless television. My only complaint is that my back is killing me…I've definitely gotten to the extremely uncomfortable stage of my pregnancy."

"I'm sorry, baby. I'll be sure to give you a nice back rub and massage when Liam and I get home. Take it easy this week- you deserve a break."

I sighed, knowing that I would never really be able to take a break. Being a mother and wife meant that I was always thinking about someone else and their safety and happiness. "Okay, I'll be sure to try."

Edward laughed. "You do that. I've got to go now, okay? I promised Liam I would take him swimming and if we don't do it now, we'll never find the time."

"Alright. Have fun. I love you and I miss both of you."

"We love you and miss you as well, Bella. And the baby, of course. Tell her goodbye for me and that I love her."

"I will," I promised. With a final goodbye to Edward, I hung up the phone and leaned back in my easy chair, frowning slightly. My back _really _hurt. It was terrible.

I practically hobbled towards the hall closet to get my heating pad, and on my way back into the living room I suddenly felt a sharp cramp. I froze for a moment, immediately terrified. I winced as the cramping started again, and my mind began to race.

Forgetting the heating pad and my sore back, I hurried back into the living room and grabbed my cell phone, frantically dialing a familiar number. I inhaled sharply and tried to breathe through the pain of the cramps, but they were getting sharper.

"Hello?" My mother answered the phone cheerfully, and I nearly forgot my panic at the sound of her comforting voice. However, another painful cramp brought back my fears.

"Mom, its Bella. I don't know what's going on, but I'm cramping really badly and I think I need to go to the hospital.

…

**Sorry for that cliff-hanger and shortish chapter…but I'll update again in the next three days. **

**Visit my profile page for a poll over what Edward and Bella should name the baby, and be sure to review.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	30. Chapter 30

**Actually finished this update within three days…I hope that makes up for the cliff hanger from last chapter. There is some medical stuff in this chapter and I tried to be as accurate as possible. I apologize for anything that is incorrect, but I'm just going to go with it and call any possible errors part of my creative license.**

**Thank you for the amazing amount of reviews that you have given this story. Over 1,000 reviews…that means so much to me. Thanks again.**

**The Unfailingly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Born This Way Cover by Tyler Ward and Julia Sheer  
****Rolling in the Deep by Adele  
****Chasing Pavements by Adele  
****Broken Arrow by Raney Shockne**

**Like the last chapter, this one has not gone to the pre-reader yet. When Wendy is available, any needed changes will be made.**

**Thanks for voting in the poll on my profile page, if you did. There is some more about that in my authors note at the bottom of the page.**

…

BPOV

"Honey, are you sure you aren't just overreacting?" My mom asked worriedly, placing her hand on my stomach.

"I don't know!" I shouted anxiously, pacing back and forth across the living room. "It's been thirty minutes since I called you and the pains haven't stopped, even though I'm moving around." I looked at her desperately, panic coursing through my entire body. "Please. I really think I need to go to the hospital."

My mom pursed her lips and pulled me into her arms, rubbing back comfortingly. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart. I'm sure nothing is wrong. We'll go to the hospital, and I'll call Edward to let him know what's going on-"

"No, wait." I grabbed my mom's hand, shaking my head. "Don't call Edward until we know what's happening. I don't want him to worry over nothing, just in case I am overreacting." Deep now, I knew that _something _was wrong, but I didn't want to admit it. I just wanted to know what was going on.

She hesitated for a moment, but then agreed. "Okay. Come on, sweetie, let's go." My mom grabbed her car keys and took me by hand, leading me out to the car. "Get buckled in," she instructed as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway. I obeyed, and gripped my armrest tightly as more cramps ripped through my body.

I was silent the whole drive to the hospital, horrible thoughts running through my head.

I didn't want to think that something was wrong, but I had to accept that it was a really possibility. And that terrified me, so I tried to ignore those thoughts.

I forced myself to think about Liam and Edward, and their trip to New York, and not about what could be happening to me right now.

All of us- me, Edward, and Liam- had gone through so much to get to this point. Edward and I had been lost and then managed to find each other again, and Liam had lived the first five years of his life having parents who were unwilling to make his family complete. And now here we were, all of us happy and healthy, and this was happening.

"It's going to be okay, Bella," my mom whispered, and it wasn't until then that I realized I was crying.

I wiped at my eyes and didn't speak again until I was situated in the examination room in the hospital.

My mom was filling the paperwork out for me, and I was just staring up at the ceiling, trying to force myself not to think at all.

"Mrs. Cullen?" My doctor, Dr. Ellis, came into the room, and I sat up slightly. "What seems to be the problem?" She asked, looking at me over her shoulder as she washed her hands in the sink in the corner of the room.

I wiped my eyes one last time. "I've had an awful backache since early this afternoon and then started having cramps. They…they feel like contractions, but I can't be sure. They didn't stop even after I started moving around and they are really strong. I just don't know what's going on."

Dr. Ellis nodded, putting her latex gloves on as she sat down in front of me. "It's a good thing you came in, Bella. I'm guessing these are Braxton-Hicks, but you say they didn't stop even after you were moving around?"

"No, they didn't stop," I said, and my mom reached for my hand and held it gently in hers. "And they're still happening," I added as I felt more cramps.

"Alright. Now put your legs in the stirrups and try to relax and I'll see if I can figure out what's going on. Your blood test results should be back shortly as well."

I compiled, and stared up at the ceiling as she began probing between my legs. "Call Edward," I said to my mom, turning my head to face her. "I know I said I didn't want him to worry…but I really want him to know."

"Okay, I will. I'm going to step out into the hallway, and then I'll be back in a few minutes." My mom stood up and kissed the top of my head, and then left me alone in the room with Dr. Ellis.

"Well, Bella, this is a bit odd," Dr. Ellis said, pulling off her latex gloves. I took my legs out of the stirrups and sat up again, resting my hand on my stomach. "There's nothing wrong, and those contractions you're experiencing are definitely Braxton-Hicks. I'm not sure why they haven't stopped yet, but you can do several things to slow them down and ease the discomfort until they do. Drink a couple glasses of water, eat something healthy and filling, and take a warm bath. Walk around your house a little bit, and try some breathing exercises."

I was so unbelievably relieved- I smiled widely and wrapped my arms around my stomach. "Oh, thank god. I was so worried…"

"I understand, Bella." Dr. Ellis smiled at me picked up my chart from where it was sitting on the countertop. She studied it for a moment, and then glanced back up at me. "Your blood pressure looks a little high. I'm sure it's nothing, but I'm going to strap a monitor onto your stomach and check the baby's blood pressure, too."

"Um, okay." I frowned slightly, my good mood dampened.

"Just a precaution," Dr. Ellis assured me. "I'll be back in a few minutes, and on my way out I'll have a nurse bring you some bottled water."

I nodded, biting my bottom lip. "Thank you."

Several moments after she left, my mother came back into the room, her cell phone pressed against her ear. "Is everything okay?" She asked in a whisper, and I nodded my head again. "Edward wants to talk to you."

I took the phone from her and took a deep breath before putting the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Bella, what the hell is going on? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Edward sounded just as frantic as I was feeling, although hearing his voice helped me calm down again.

"I don't know. I think everything's okay. Dr. Ellis said the cramps were Braxton-Hicks, but now she says my blood pressure is high and she wants to check the baby's, too. She also wants to look at the results of my blood test before she draws any conclusions."

I heard Edward exhale loudly. "Jesus, Bella, I was so scared. Are you alright? I know you must have been just as panicked."

"I'm alright. The whole blood pressure and blood test thing are a little scary, because I have no idea what is going to come out of that, but I'm sure it will be okay. I just got so scared…things finally seemed perfect, and I didn't want anything to be taken away from us."

"I know. Can you please call me back when you're done? I would stay on the phone with you, but I left Liam alone with my assistant and-"

"It's fine. I'll call you as soon as I'm done here. Thank you, Edward. Just hearing your voice has made me feel a lot better. I love you."

Edward laughed slightly, and I couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure everything will be okay. I love you too, Bella. Just stay calm. I know that will be hard…I'm scared too. But we have to be optimistic."

We said our goodbyes, and I was silent after that. My mom played with my hair a little, the softness of her touch helping me relax further. A nurse came in with a water bottle, which I quickly drank. I could still feel the Braxton-Hicks, but they weren't so strong and they were a little less frequent.

After twenty minutes of waiting, Dr. Ellis returned with the results of my blood test in her hand.

"Bella, there's something that I need to talk to you about," she began, and my heart started beating faster immediately. "Your blood tests show that you have recently developed a blood clotting disorder called antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. It's extremely lucky that you came into the hospital today, because this could cause clots in the umbilical cord or placenta, which could lead to a stillborn birth. I'm going to schedule you a sonogram to check for any clots, and we'll go from there."

"Oh my god…" I brought my hand up to my face, horrified.

"It's going to be fine, Bella," Dr. Ellis said soothingly, and my mom put her arm around me comfortingly. "You're going to be treated with daily injections of Lovenox, which is a low molecular weight blood thinner, and we're going to monitor you closely for the duration of your pregnancy and throughout any other pregnancies you might have. Before we take you to get your sonogram done, however, I want to check the baby's blood pressure." She held up the strap-on heart rate monitor, and I sat up and lifted my shirt up to right below my chest so that she could strap it around my stomach.

My mom and I both watched silently as Dr. Ellis got everything working. She waited for an accurate reading, and then looked up at me with a reassuring smile on her face. "Your baby's heart rate is perfectly normal. If it hadn't been, that would have indicated that a blood clot had already gotten into the umbilical cord. You seem to be safe from that, but of course I'll still do the sonogram to ensure everything else is okay."

"Okay. Thank you so much, Dr. Ellis."

"It's my job, Bella. And it's no problem. Now, let's get downstairs and get you a sonogram, and then I'll write you a prescription and schedule you another check up for next week." Dr. Ellis ushered my mom and I out of the room, and we followed her downstairs to have a sonogram done.

"Are you still experiencing the Braxton-Hicks?" Dr. Ellis asked as she began the sonogram.

"Yes, but they aren't as frequent," I said, my eyes glued to the sonogram screen. I had no idea what I was looking at or what I was looking for, but I still wanted to look and know what was going on.

My mom had been quiet this entire time, but she was still extremely reassuring just in her presence alone. If I couldn't have Edward, my mom was definitely the next best person to be here with me.

"Everything looks fine, Bella, Dr. Ellis finally said. "There is no clot in the placenta or umbilical cord."

"Oh, thank god," I said, gripping my mom's hand tightly. "Thank you so much."

Dr. Ellis just smiled, and then she reached for her prescription pad. "I'm just going to write you this prescription, and after you have it filled, you are free to go home. If you experience any discomfort at all during the rest of your pregnancy, you are free to take baby aspirin, too. Don't forget to eat something, walk around a bit, and take a bath when you get home. That should put an end to those nasty Braxton-Hicks, okay?"

"Alright." I took the prescription she handed me, and used a paper towel to wipe the gunk from the ultrasound off of my belly before pulling my shirt back down and following my mom and Dr. Ellis out of the room.

After scheduling an appointment for next week, I said one final thank you and goodbye to Dr. Ellis and then headed downstairs to the pharmacy.

"I have never been so relieved," I whispered, pausing in the hallway to hug my mom quickly. "I was so scared…all of these horrible possibilities kept running through my head."

"I know, Bella. But everything is okay. I'm going to stay with you until Edward gets home- no arguing. Edward asked me to when I spoke with him earlier, and I think it's a good idea."

Protesting would do nothing for me, so I just smiled. "Thank you, mom."

'Thank you' seemed like such a simple thing, but I had really never been more grateful in my life.

…

**As of right now, the poll on my profile page for the name of the baby is tied between two options! If you haven't voted yet and are interested, please do so!**

**Was supposed to leave ten minutes ago for church. Oops. Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	31. Chapter 31

**This chapter is in EPOV, so enjoy! Also, please note that this chapter is very, very similar to chapter one. I did that on purpose. That's how it's supposed to be…kind of to show growth of the characters and storyline and whatnot.**

**Edward and Bella reunite in this chapter…hallelujah.**

**The Abidingly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows**

**The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert**

**Shine by The Plain White T's**

**Give In To Me by Leighton Meester and Garrett Hedlund (is that his name? I'm not sure and I'm too lazy to look it up…)**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you, Wendy, for pre-reading and for catching my idiotic mistakes.**

**The poll on my profile page is now closed and you'll see the results of that later in the chapter. Thanks to everyone who voted.**

…

**EPOV**

I quietly closed my car door behind me, and then opened the back door and carefully took Liam out of his booster seat and held him in my arms. He had been asleep for the entire drive from the airport, and I knew he wanted to wake up again in his own bed. Our trip together had been fun, but the kid missed his house and his mom.

The streetlamps were on, casting dark shadows all over the place. When I turned towards the house with my son in my arms, I couldn't help but smile when I saw that the porch light was on.

This moment reminded me of the night, months ago, when I had returned home to my wife from a long trip and finally allowed myself to believe that our marriage could be fixed and that our relationship was worth saving. I was right this time, apparently. Not only had Bella and I managed to put our marriage back together, but we were also doing better than ever and we were expecting our second child.

I had been terrified when Bella's mother had called me and told me there was something wrong with Bella and with the baby, and for a split second I had let myself imagine what it would be like to lose either one of my precious girls. Complete and utter hell. When I realized that a strong front would be necessary for both Bella and for Liam, I had forced myself to put those thoughts at the back of my mind.

And then when I finally heard Bella's voice and learned that everything would be alright, I allowed myself to relax a little bit. No good would come out of excessive worrying, and I would just have to take even better care of Bella during the duration of her pregnancy.

As I walked up to the door and reached into the front pocket of my jeans, being careful so that I wouldn't jostle Liam and wake him, the front door opened slowly. And as always, she looks beautiful. Her hair is pulled into a ponytail and her round stomach is protruding from the oversized tee shirt she's wearing, and I can easily say that the sight of her, safe and sound, is the best thing I've seen all week.

"I heard the car pull up," she whispered, smiling sweetly. "Welcome home…both of you." Bella stepped forward to kiss me on the lips, and as she did so, her rounded stomach pressed against Liam's back as I continued to hold him in my arms.

Bella pressed kiss to his forehead as well, but he still did not wake up.

"Put him to bed, and I'll meet you in our bedroom," Bella instructed, smiling up at me. She still looked tired, but she also looked happy. Thank goodness.

"Okay. I missed you, baby," I whispered, planting one more kiss on her soft lips as I walked past her to carry Liam upstairs to his room.

As I walked up the stairs with my arms wrapped around our sleeping son, I heard Bella's sweet, soft reply. "We missed you, too."

Despite everything that had happened between us, I always wanted to come home to her.

…

"I finally decided what my top pick is for the baby's name," Bella murmured sleepily. We were all wrapped up in each other, the sun was peeking in through our bedroom window, and a wonderful new day had just begun.

"Oh?" I sat up slightly, pulling her up with me and holding her tightly against my bare chest. "What is it?"

Bella smiled up at me, her eyes sleepy but her smile bright and warm. "I like Ella. Ella Madelyn Cullen…doesn't that sound pretty."

I nodded, kissing the soft skin of my wife's forehead. "It sounds absolutely beautiful." I rested my hand on her stomach, and marveled at how she could grow our daughter and keep her safe for nine months. "You're an amazing woman, Bella Cullen, and I don't say that enough."

She just smiled again, and tilted her head upwards. I kissed her squarely on the lips, and continued to hold her close to me because I never wanted to let her go.

…

"See that, Mommy? That's the really big park I told you about. It was even bigger than the park near Papa and Nana's house! And this is the Statue of Liberty, and that's the big fountain we saw…"

Liam was on a role, chattering nonstop and showing Bella picture after picture of our trip to New York City. Bella had given Liam three little disposable cameras to use during the trip, and he had gone through every single camera in just a few days, wanting to have plenty of pictures to show to Bella and the rest of his friends and family.

"Wow, baby. Is there anywhere Daddy didn't take you?" Bella teased, ruffling Liam's curly hair.

I laughed sheepishly, shrugging my shoulders. "I wanted him to get the full experience."

"I know, hon. I was just kidding." Bella squeezed my knee gently, and then wrapped her arm around Liam's shoulders. "I'm glad you boys had so much fun…but I'm even gladder that you're home now. Let's keep it that way for a little while longer, okay? I've missed both of my boys."

I loved my job as a traveling photographer, and I love the experiences and opportunities that the job has given me. But now, as I sit at home with my wife and son, with a daughter on the way, I know that there are some experiences that are worth so much more to me.

…

**This chapter is short, but it's more like a teaser/filler for the next chapter. Spoiler alert…the Edward and Bella's new little bundle of joy will be joining us in the next chapter, so that's why it will be extra long and extra special =)**

**Please review, and I'll have the next chapter up by the weekend. **

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	32. Chapter 32

**And here it is…your longer chapter.**

**I'm guessing you guys have all figured out by now that the story is pretty much winding down. I'm estimating about three chapters after this one, but as we all know, my estimations suck.**

**The Unswervingly Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Bluebird by Christina Perri  
****Naturally by Selena Gomez  
****You and Me by Lifehouse  
****Somewhere Only We Know by Glee**

**I'm sorry for the delay in this chapter. I'm seven and a half months pregnant, we're in the process of moving, my daughter is pretty dependent on me, and we just found out that my husband has a genetic heart disease that will, eventually, need a heart transplant. Things are very hard right now, but I still want to try and finish this story up.**

**Thank you so much for all of the support, and reviews, and everything else.**

**And thank you to Wendy for pre-reading, as always.**

…

**BPOV**

"You're doing great, Bella, just try and breathe through the pain," Dr. Ellis said encouragingly. "Your daughter will be with us in about an hour; do you thing you'll be able to hold out for that long?" Her voice was kind and teasing, but I was in my twelfth hour of labor and I had absolutely no sense of humor left.

"How's everything going with the blood clotting thing? You're keeping an eye on everything, right?" Edward asked anxiously, peering over at one of the several monitors that were set up next to the hospital bed.

Dr. Ellis nodded reassuringly, patting my giant stomach with her hand. "Yes. We are monitoring everything, and it is all looking good. Because Bella has been taking her Lovenox medication every day, the antiphospholipd antibody syndrome should not be an issue during the birth.

Edward visibly relaxed, and so did I. "Good. I'll be right back, Bella, I'm going to go and check on Liam real quick. Just sit tight."

I rolled my eyes, shifting uncomfortably. "Yeah, I'll be sure to not run off in the middle of a contraction," I said dryly, watching as Edward left the room to go into the waiting room with Liam, our parents, and my siblings. They were all impatiently waiting for another addition to our family. After everyone found about the slight risk that accompanied my pregnancy, they had been stuck to me like glue.

Their concern was sweet and their attentiveness was appreciated at first, but now I just wanted my daughter to be born, for her to be healthy, and to move on to the next stage.

The nursery was completed, the name had been chosen, and now all we were waiting for was for our little princess to make an appearance.

…

"Congratulations, Edward and Bella. She's absolutely beautiful, and perfectly healthy."

Tears of relief, love, and joy were streaming down my face as the nurse walked over to Edward and I with our newborn daughter in our arms.

"She's nine pounds, two ounces, and twenty one inches long," the nurse announced, and then situated the baby in my arms."

I felt Edward's arm slip around my shoulders I gazed down at our daughter, totally encompassed by love. "Oh, Bella…look at her," Edward whispered, peppering the top of my head with sweet little kisses. "She's beautiful; she looks just like you." I was silent as Edward reached down and pushed the pink hat on our daughter's head aside, revealing her thick brown hair. "I love you, Bella." I tilted my head towards Edward and he kissed my smile.

"I love you, too," I replied, and then turned my gaze back to our brand new baby. "Ella Madelyn," I said quietly. "That suits her, doesn't it?"

"It really does," Edward agreed, and then the nurse approached us again.

"Bella, I'm going to take you down to recovery, and then your family members can come in and visit. Visiting hours last until eight p.m. tonight, but of course your husband is free to stay as long as he wishes."

Half an hour later I was situated in a new room and our family members were chomping at the bit to meet Ella. But of course, Liam came first. I sat in my hospital bed holding Ella in my arms as Edward came into the room holding Liam's hand. Liam was clutching a pink bear I knew he must have gotten in the gift shop, and he was wearing a big grin on his face.

He cautiously approached my bed at Edward's urging, peering at the little pink bundle that I held in my arms. "Is that her?" He asked, leaning in closer.

I laughed softly, patting the space next to me on the bed. "Yep, this is her. Come and sit up here with us, baby. She wants to know her big brother."

Liam's grin grew even larger as he climbed up on the bed. He gazed down at his brand new little sister, looking completely stunned. "She's really tiny," he commented. "Can I touch her?"

"Of course you can, son. Just be gentle," Edward advised. He sat on the foot of the bed, his eyes trained on the three of us. The expression on his face held more love than I could even comprehend, and that made my heart melt a little bit further.

Liam reached for his little sister with great care; touching her round cheek with the palm of his small hand. "Hi, Ella," he said formally. "I'm your big brother. Liam. Mommy and Daddy and I have been waiting for you to come for a very long time, and I'm glad you're finally here. When you get a little bigger, we can play together as long as you know that I'm older than you and I'm the boss." He paused, not paying any attention to Edward and I, who were laughing quietly. "We'll be friends, if you're nice to me." Liam fell silent, and he sat still. His fingers, still pudgy with his little bit of baby fat, stroked his baby sister's cheek with a reverence that was simply heartwarming.

All throughout this time, I heard the quiet shutters of Edward's camera; capturing these precious moments.

My parents and Edward's parents were the next ones to come into the room, and they were, of course, over the moon.

"Look at her chubby little cheeks!" Renée cooed, picking up Ella and lightly pinching her cherubic cheeks. She was only a few hours old and she still had the distinct, eerie look of a newborn, but everyone cooed over her because below the newborn characteristics, it was obvious that Ella really would be a beautiful little baby. "Bella, she looks just like you did when you were a baby, right down to her full head of hair."

Edward grinned and peered over Renée's shoulder to look at Ella once again. "That's exactly what I said, Renée. Look, she's even got Bella's dimples." He stroked Ella's cheek gently, pointing out the dimple on her left cheek as she moved her mouth around experimentally.

"And she has your long fingers, sweetie," Esme added. She reached for her son's hand and squeezed gently. "She's a perfect little mixture of both of you, just like Liam." Liam grinned proudly when he heard his Nana's compliment, and Esme ran her hand through his curly hair lovingly.

We socialized for a little while longer, but we couldn't hold my siblings back any longer.

"Can we have our turn now?" Rosalie, Emmet, Jasper, and Alice appeared in the doorway, with flowers, balloons, and big smiles on all of their faces.

Our parents grudgingly left after giving out another round of hugs and kisses, and promised to visit us at home soon.

"It was hard leaving Luca with the babysitter, but I think it was worth it," Rosalie joked, kissing Ella's velvet-soft forehead. "Really guys, she's adorable. Congratulations."

We all talked and joked around for a while, until I was unable to hold back my yawns anymore and Edward put an end to things. "Guys, thanks so much for coming, but I think Bella needs her rest now. We'll be bringing Ella home tomorrow, so feel free to stop in for a visit then if you want to."

After exchanging more goodbye hugs and kisses with Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmet, Edward turned to our very sleepy son.

"Liam, tonight you're going to have a sleepover at Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmet's house, but then tomorrow night the four of us will be all together," Edward said. "Does that sound good?"

There was a slight hesitation. "Yeah, I guess." Liam didn't look away from Ella, but he smiled. "I like staying with Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmet. And I'll see you tomorrow, Ella. Be good." Liam doled out a round of kisses for all of us before taking Emmet's hand and walking out with them.

"Finally some peace and quiet," Edward murmured. He sat down on the edge of the bed, slinging his arm around my shoulders. Ella had fallen asleep in my arms, but we both knew that she would be waking up soon enough, so we needed to sleep a little bit while we had the chance.

Edward put Ella in the little bassinet the hospital had provided, and then he slipped into bed next to me. "I missed having you all to myself," he whispered in my ear, his breath warm against the skin of my neck. "She's beautiful, baby. We've been waiting for her for what seems like forever and now that she's finally here…it already seems like time is passing too quickly."

I laughed softly, but I knew exactly what he meant. "I know. I don't want her to grow up…and I don't want Liam to grow up, either. I want both of them to be my babies for the rest of my life."

"They'll always be your babies, no matter what. They're just going to have to grow up, too." Edward kissed my neck, and he gripped me tighter. "But I don't want either of them to grow up, and I'm definitely going to be there every step of the way. I missed out on some things with Liam…I want to make that up to him, but I swear to you that I'm not going to do that again. I'm going to be here for you, Ella, and Liam and nothing is going to change that."

"I know. You did what you thought was right…and even though we've had a rough go of things…I've never been happier."

Edward responded by kissing me squarely on the lips, his mouth strong and persistent against mine. "I love you. No matter what happens, I'm always going to love you, baby. Things aren't always going to be picture perfect between us and we might have more fights and problems, but this time I'm not going to give up. You and I love each other, we belong together, and we can do this."

I smiled sleepily, right on the verge of drifting off to sleep. "I love you, Edward. And I don't want a picture perfect life…I just want you, and the life that we already have."

…

**I'm super busy at the moment with doctor's appointments, moving, hospital visits for my husband, and with my daughter, but I am going to update the next time I get a chance. Please review; let me know what you think. I really appreciate it and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Xoxo Melodyella aka Mellie**


	33. Chapter 33

**Thank you again for all of your support, prayers, reviews, and understanding. It means very much to me.**

**This is the last chapter. The chapter is kind of short…but all of the ends are tied up, so this is just a fluffy little ending to put an end to everything. There will be one futuretake posted shortly, and then this story will be marked as complete. I might write some more futuretakes eventually, but if I do so it won't be for awhile. **

**I'm offering a little teaser of the futuretake to anyone who reviews this chapter, by the way. So please review if you have a moment to spare.**

**The Steadfastly Faithful Chapter Playlist:  
****Loving You Tonight by Andrew Allen  
****The Honey and the Bee by Owl City  
****Mercy by Matt Nathanson  
****Honey Bee by Blake Shelton**

**As always, thank you so much Wendy! Best pre-reader ever.**

…

**BPOV, Six Months Later:**

The months after Ella's birth drifted by, traveling at a slow speed that left me content. It was never easy with a newborn baby in the house, but we managed. Edward had only taken one overnight trip over the last six months, and had been doing most of his work out of Forks and Port Angeles; sometimes Seattle. He had also been taking a lot of pictures around the house, capturing sweet moments that happened within our happy little family. However, he had been rather sneaky about those photos and refused to reveal what they were for.

But I knew that everything Edward did had a purpose behind it, so I didn't push him on the subject. After Ella had begun to develop her own personality, Liam fell more and more in love with her. He had been a bit upset about the way she would cry every two or three hours during the night, but after we got her on a better sleep schedule and the nighttime crying tapered off a bit, he warmed right back up to her.

She certainly was hard to resist. Her big brown eyes and pudgy cheeks made her look like a little angel, and everyone was falling head over heels for her.

So when I walked into our bedroom and found Edward lying in our bed with Ella sleeping on his tummy, I wasn't surprised. Ella was a total daddy's girl, which Edward absolutely loved. When he wasn't working, playing with Liam, or loving on me, he _always _had Ella with him.

"You found your girl, huh?" I asked quietly, not wanting to wake the baby.

Edward grinned up at me lazily, his hand cupping the back of Ella's head. "I sure did. Look at her…she missed me."

I laughed, nodding my head. Edward and Liam had been gone since early this morning for one of Liam's soccer tournaments and had just gotten home about half an hour ago. Since Edward had been home much more often, he had joined Emmet as a couch for the boys' soccer team and hadn't missed a game yet. "We both did," I said as I moved towards my closet so that I could change into my pajamas. Liam was sound asleep when you came home…it must have been a busy day. Did you guys have fun?"

"Yeah, it was great. But Liam ate about ten hotdogs on the way home…Emmet was egging him on," Edward murmured, his eyes glued to me as I undressed.

I hadn't gotten my pre-baby body back, and I kind of doubted that would ever happen. Even though I was still a vegetarian and still was very active, I _liked _my body this way and I was going to try not to lose any more weight. I preferred to be soft and rounded, and Edward liked me this way too. I felt more like a woman and I appreciated the curves that I had.

"Come here, beautiful," Edward whispered as I put on the long tee shirt that served as my pajamas.

I crawled into bed with my husband and our baby, relished the warm and love that was encompassing me. Ella yawned sleepily, but her eyes didn't open as she nuzzled her head against Edward's chest.

Several silent minutes passed and I let my eyes flutter shut.

"So…I talked to Alec the other day and he and I both decided that I should branch out a little more and give my photography a wider audience," Edward's voice startled me; I had been just about to fall asleep.

"Um, what would that entail?" I asked timidly. "Are you going to have to be gone more often?"

Edward kissed my forehead gently, stroking my arm up and down. "No, baby. Don't worry. Alec wants to have one of those photography books put together. All the pictures would be ones that I've already taken."

"Oh." I sat up slightly, careful not to jostle Ella. "That actually sounds pretty good. What's the theme of the book going to be?"

"You'll find out soon enough. It's going to be a surprise, okay?"

I smiled, kissing my husband on the lips.

There was no doubt in my mind that our life together was happy and that we would be happy together for a very, very long time.

…

Six Months Later:

Ella's first birthday approached so quickly; I couldn't believe my baby was already a year old. And Liam was already seven…life was moving by at a very fast speed these days. Today was Ella's birthday party, and she was definitely enjoying all of the extra attention. I watched as she was passed around by grandparents, aunts, uncles, close family friends, and other distant relatives. Liam was receiving plenty of attention as well, although he spent most of his time glued to his Nintendo DS.

The first year of Ella's life had passed by so quickly, and I knew that your lives were going full speed ahead.

And by the time that the party was over, we were all exhausted. Rosalie, Alice, Esme, and my mom had stayed behind to help me clean up, but it still took us forever to get everything put together. When I finally made it upstairs, both Ella and Liam were already asleep and Edward was waiting for me in bed.

"I am _so _exhausted," I sighed, curling up in Edward's arms. "Why do we know so many people, and why did we invite all of them to our daughter's birthday party?"

Edward laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I have no idea, Bella. But Ella had a lot of fun, and so did Liam. So it was a success, right?"

"Right," I said, closing my eyes and pressing my cheek against Edward's bare chest.

"I have a surprise for you."

My eyes full open and I looked up at my husband, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Really? What is it?"

"Patience, Mrs. Cullen. You'll find out soon enough," Edward teased, and got out of bed. I watched him with curiosity as he disappeared into our closet and then reappeared with a wrapped, rectangular package in his hands. "Here you go." He handed me the package and then slipped back into bed with me, putting his arm around my shoulders.

I ripped the package open eagerly, and in my hands was what appeared to be a scrapbook. I glanced at Edward questioningly, but he just motioned for me to open it.

And when I did, my mouth dropped open in surprise. "Is this your book?" I asked, running my fingers over the first page. It was the cover page, and it was a picture that Edward had taken of us in the hospital, right after Ella was born. Edward and Liam were with me in my hospital bed, and I was holding Ella in my arms. Edward had taken the picture from arms length, and none of us were looking at the camera.

Both Liam and I were staring at Ella, and Edward was staring at _me_. It was beautiful, the way that Edward had managed to effortlessly capture the love that our family shared. The word "Love" was below the picture, and then the byline "Edward Cullen Photography" was underneath that.

I flipped through the book and was stunned by every single picture I saw. They weren't all of our family, but many of them were. Some of them were taken years and years ago, and some of them were very new. They were all perfect and every single picture was the very essence of the word "Love".

"Do you like it?" Edward asked hesitantly. "I was a little worried about how you would feel with your picture and the kids pictures in a book like this…but then I figured I would show it to you first before I sent it to the publisher…to make sure it's okay."

"It's beautiful," I whispered, wiping tears away from my eyes. "I love it, baby. It's perfect."

"You're perfect." Edward kissed me full on the lips, and it was then that I knew we had found our Picture Perfect life.

…

**The end.**

**Please review. As I said before, those who review will get teasers for the futuretake =)**

**Xoxo Melodyella aka Mellie**


	34. Chapter 34

**Here is the futuretake. I apologize for it being up so much later than I had expected, but life has been very, very busy. Thank you to everyone for the unbelievable support that you have given me through this hard time. And I am happy to report that although my husband went through a bad spell over the past few months, he has pulled through and is doing much better. The love and generosity of others never ceases to amaze me.**

**I have loved writing this story, partly because of all of the readers and the wonderful response you all gave. Thank you so much.**

**I'm not saying that there will never be any more futuretakes for this story, but as of right now I don't have any more planned. Maybe I'll do one eventually…so just keep this story on alert.**

**The Persistently Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Can't Help Falling In Love by Michael Bublé  
****Daughter by Loudon Wainwright III  
****Oh Darling by Plug In Stereo  
****Molly Smiles by Jesse Spencer**

**As always, thank you so much Wendy! Best pre-reader ever.**

**This is short and sweet and ties everything together…I hope. Oh and about the ages…Liam is eighteen, Ella is eleven, and the twins are four. This takes place ten-ish years in the future.**

…

**EPOV**

Ten years could change a lot of things. I touched my fingertips to the cool glass covering our family picture and a smile tugged at my lips.

Liam was eighteen years old now...he would be graduating from high school in two weeks and then would be headed off to travel the country. He was definitely his mother's son- so kindhearted and dedicated. Instead of going to college right after graduating, he was taking a short break from school instead. I had been furious when I had first heard his plans, but when I finally took the time to listen to the plan that my son had carefully put together, I warmed up to the idea. He would be traveling around the country doing community service work with a group of volunteers from the greater Seattle area. Over the next year, Liam would be visiting homeless shelters, battered women and children's shelters, and soup kitchens to spread a little kindness in the places that he would be visiting.

Ella was already eleven, and she was a little spitfire- much like her Aunt Rosalie. She was my little girl though, and I couldn't help but spoil her. She liked coming along with me on my photography assignments, and she showed true talent behind the camera. I wouldn't be surprised if she were to become a better photographer than I was.

Jack and Amelia were growing up quickly, too. My babies were already four years old, and growing more and more with every passing day. Bella and I hadn't been planning their addition to our family, but Bella's third pregnancy was definitely a pleasant surprise for all of us. And we had been even more surprised when the doctor told us that we would be having twins. It had certainly been a challenge at first, but Bella and I had managed to get through it together.

And my Bella. She...she was still my everything.

Marriage wasn't easy for anyone, but we were still managing to make things work. Both of us just had to remember that we were a team, and that if we worked together through our problems, things would turn out okay.

"Hey, handsome," I turned around to see Bella standing in the doorway, smiling that smile I loved so much, "are you coming down to dinner anytime soon?"

"How could I refuse an invitation from such a beautiful woman?" I teased, stepping forward and kissing her soft lips as I cupped the back of her neck with my hand. "How about I just have _you _for dinner?" I slid my hand down her back and lower still, squeezing suggestively.

Bella laughed loudly, but knocked my hand out of the way. "As wonderful as that sounds, there are four children gathered around the dinner table and I don't think they would like that so much."

I sighed, giving her one last kiss before we walked downstairs together, hand in hand. "Just think, in fourteen years, all of our kids will be out of the house and we can do whatever we want, whenever we want." I had said it jokingly, but then I realized that Bella and I had never really lived together, alone. Liam had been born shortly after we had gotten married and moved in together, and over the past eighteen years, we've had even more children fill up the house.

"Fourteen years is a long way away, Edward," Bella remarked dryly. "And by then, Liam might be married with children of his own, and I hope the family will visit often even after they've all moved out." She laughed, squeezing my hand tightly. "Face it Edward, we're not going to have _real_ alone time for a long time."

"Mom, dad, will you stop flirting and come to the table? We're hungry!" Liam's loud voice boomed out from the dining room, followed by laughter from his younger siblings.

Bella cocked her eyebrow as if to say, "I told you so", and we walked into the dining room.

"It's about time," Ella said, crossing her arms over her chest as Bella and I sat down at the table. "We've been waiting forever, and Amelia kept throwing pieces of bread at me," she complained.

"Stop whining, Ella. We always wait for you before we start dinner," I scolded, and then looked over at Amelia, who ducked her head down below the table. "And you, young lady, stop throwing food at the dinner table."

The meal finally started, and as usual it was filled with lively conversation. Then it occurred to me that in less than a month, all of this would be disrupted. We would be a household of five instead of six, and Liam would no longer be seated around our dinner table every night, laughing and bantering with his younger siblings. Bella seemed to have come to the same realization as I had, because we were both fairly quiet throughout the course of the meal.

And after everyone had finished eating and Bella and I were clearing the table, Bella put her hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Why don't you go talk to him?"

I nodded and kissed the top of her head before going upstairs to Liam's room. I knocked on the door before coming in, and a pang of nostalgia hit me again- Liam would be moving out soon and this would no longer really feel like _his _room.

"What's up, dad?" Liam asked as I walked in. He was sprawled out on top of his bed, his iPhone in his hand and the remote control to his television next to him.

"I just wanted to talk with you," I said, and I sat down on the foot of his bed. As I looked around, I saw that he had already started packing some things up and getting rid of other things. "So…you've started packing?"

Liam nodded, running his hand through his short, curly hair. It was a habit that he had picked up from me, but luckily his hair wasn't quite as untamable as my own. "Yeah, I figured that with finals and graduation coming up so fast, I wouldn't have that much time. Besides, I didn't want to spend my last few days at home packing…so I decided to try and get it over with ahead of time." We were both silent for a moment, and then Liam cleared his throat. "Dad, are you sure you and mom are okay with me leaving right after graduation?"

The last thing I wanted was for my son to feel guilty about this, especially because he was going to be doing such a good, selfless thing. But it would be so easy to say no, and to tell him that he had to stay here and go to a nearby college so that we could see him every weekend. I couldn't do that, and I knew that Bella couldn't either.

"It's going to be tough, but we both know how much you want to do this," I finally said. "We've lived with you for eighteen years…it'll be strange not seeing you for months at a time."

"But that was how it used to be, remember? When I was a little kid, you would leave mom and me for _months_ and only come home for like a week at a time." Liam's voice was gentle, but I knew that my poor decisions from the past were once again coming back to bite me in the ass.

"I know, Liam. And I've always regretted being away from you and your mom. I'm not asking you to stay, I'm just letting you know that I'm really, really going to miss having you around."

Liam relaxed slightly and ran his hand through his hair again. "Sorry, dad. It wasn't really fair of me to bring that up again. I know that you were doing what you thought was best- really, I do. I'm going to miss you and mom too, not to mention Ella, Amelia, Jack, and the rest of the family. But dad, this is something that I really want to do."

I smiled, patting him on the leg. "Liam, you're a smart kid. I'm going to miss you like hell, but you're doing a good thing."

We talked for a little while longer before I left him alone to watch television. The younger kids were all gathered in front of the television downstairs, watching a movie. Bella was with them, typing away on her laptop. She glanced up as I walked in the room, and when her eyes met mine, they asked a question. _"Is everything okay?"_ I nodded silently, but held my hand out to her.

Bella stood up and walked with me out onto the back porch, and she immediately put her arms around me. "I can't believe he's leaving in three weeks," she whispered, and I felt her tears wet the front of my shirt. "He's my baby, Edward. Or at least he used to be."

I kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly, wishing that I had the power to make every aspect of our lives easier. "I can't either, sweetheart. But he's going to be so happy doing this, and he'll learn so much along the way."

"I guess I'm going to have to get used to saying goodbye again, huh?" Bella pulled away from me slightly and wiped her eyes, looking at me with a watery smile. We've got four more kids that'll be moving out over the years."

"Three more," I corrected her automatically, but she quickly shook her head.

"I took a pregnancy test after dinner, Edward. We're having another baby."

My mouth dropped open in surprise, but I quickly got over the shock and kissed Bella forcefully. "Thank you, baby," I whispered, trailing my hand over her stomach.

Bella laughed, putting her hand over mine. "I told you it would be a long time before we had the house to ourselves…and now it's going to be even longer!"

I shook my head, kissing the very tip of her nose. "And oddly enough, that's okay with me. The babies that you've given me have made it _all _worth it."

…

**As I've said before, I'm not totally sure about more futuretakes but I won't rule them out, either. **

**I'm going to be pulling some stories from my page…some I'll be getting rid of entirely, and some might make a reappearance later on. **

**One thing I do know for sure is that I'll be pulling "The Way I Love You" and I will be reposting it later as a nifty little story that updates every day in shorter pieces. Hopefully, with my hectic schedule, that will be easier to keep up with.**

**For the millionth, billionth time, thank you.**

**Xoxo Melodyella aka Mellie**


	35. Chapter 35

**Tiny, tiny, tiny futuretake. Think of it as a belated Easter present.**

**As some of you know, my husband had a heart transplant recently and although things are still looking good, nothing is for certain at this point and it is definitely scary to go through. But I'm slowly getting back on the wagon.**

**My parents surprised me, Blakely, and Brandon with tickets to Florida for Easter, and that's why I've been even more MIA than usual last week. I took Blakely to Disney World for a day while my parents watched Brandon (definitely too young for Disney, and Blakely was probably a little too young as well but oh well). It was hard leaving Jensen so soon after the transplant but he encouraged me to go enjoy myself. **

**Anyway, I'm still in Florida right now. I'm uploading this from Panera Bread, because our Disney hotel has fanfiction blocked…awkward. I'll try and post a chapter of "The Way I Love You" either tonight or before I get back on Tuesday, but no guarantees.**

**The Forever and Always Faithful Chapter Playlist:**

**Sunshine by Josie Nelson**

**Falling in Love At A Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg**

**Eyes Open by Taylor Swift**

…

EPOV

Masen Edward Cullen.

My son.

He was fast asleep in his mother's arms, wrapped tightly in his blue receiving blanket. My eyes left my son and traveled up to the face of my beautiful wife. Her hair was damp with sweat and she looked exhausted, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world.

Her fingertip traced the outline of our baby's face, and she smiled happily.

"Every time we have a baby, I am mesmerized," she said softly, "by how beautiful our children are and how lucky you and I have been. It's incredible."

"Yes," I agreed. "It really is."

I got up out of the uncomfortable plastic chair I had been sitting in and sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. I reached up and cupped Bella's face with my hand, and for the millionth time since I had met her, I was awestruck by how incredible she was.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too." Bella looked down at Masen again and her smile got even bigger. "Thank you. For our son, for all of our children, and for our life together. It seems like not that long ago when you and I were just co-existing, only together for the sake of Liam…but now I know that what you and I have is the most beautiful thing in the world."

"Bella, I feel the same way. There is nothing in this entire world that I would trade for the life that we have together." I kissed her soft lips, and then we both looked down at our son, who was only three hours old. His life was so young and so innocent, but I knew I would do anything and everything to take care of him, his mother, and his siblings.

Our life might not have turned out exactly how we thought it would, but everything we have has been so worth it. Liam was such a strong, kindhearted young man and he was doing his best to do good in the world. Ella was growing up to be an exquisite young woman, full of as much beauty and love as her mother. Jack and Amelia were growing like weeds and although they drove each other crazy at times, they were inseparable the rest of the time.

And now Masen. At only three hours old he already amazed me. Several months ago, after Liam left and after we told the rest of the kids about Bella's pregnancy, Bella and I had a long talk.

Masen would be our last child. Bella and I adored all of our children and were proud of the way we were raising them, but we knew it was time to stop. There was an age difference of nineteen years between our oldest child and our youngest, and Bella and I were getting tired. We were still healthy and fairly young, but we acknowledged that raising children was never easy and definitely would not get any easier with age.

After more discussion, we decided that I would be getting a vasectomy. So I did, and there would be no more children for Bella and I.

Despite the fact that we were happy with our five kids and weren't planning on having anymore anyway, it was still a struggle to accept the fact that the _possibility_ of having more children was off the table for good.

But I had Bella, and we had our five beautiful children, and that was more than enough.

We were happy, and at this moment things seemed like they might actually be perfect.

…

**Thanks, dears. Please review.**

**Xoxo Mel.**


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